What Is A Digital Rectal Exam, And How Often Should It Be Done?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: What is a digital rectal exam, and how often should it be done?

Answer: A digital rectal exam is when the physician actually places an index finger within the rectum to see how big the prostate gland or see if there are any abnormalities in the prostate gland itself. Typically, it is in men age 50 or greater with no family history of prostate cancer, a digital rectal exam along with a PSA is recommended by the American Cancer Society for prostate screening.