Department of Urology, London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, University College London, London, UK.
Aging Male. 2021 Dec;24(1):92-94. doi: 10.1080/13685538.2020.1786047.
Digital rectal examination (DRE) is routinely performed as part of a urology clinical assessment in patients with a clinical suspicion of prostate cancer. An abnormal DRE or a raised prostate specific antigen (PSA) level are part of the criteria for primary care referral to secondary care due to a suspicion of prostate cancer. The current Coronavirus-19 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in the rapid adoption of virtual consultations in the form of telephone or video consultations making clinical examination difficult. In the case of prostate cancer diagnostic pathways, often clinicians now rely on PSA measurements and MRI, where radiological services are available, without the requirement for a DRE. We discuss the limited role DRE has in the modern prostate cancer diagnostic pathway due to the widespread adoption of MRI particularly in the COVID-19 era.
直肠指检（DRE）是泌尿科临床评估中常规进行的一项检查，用于疑似前列腺癌的患者。由于怀疑患有前列腺癌，异常的 DRE 或升高的前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）水平是初级保健转介至二级保健的标准之一。目前的冠状病毒-19（COVID-19）大流行导致虚拟咨询（电话或视频咨询）的迅速采用，使得临床检查变得困难。在前列腺癌诊断途径的情况下，由于 MRI 的广泛应用（在有放射科服务的情况下），临床医生现在通常依赖 PSA 测量和 MRI，而无需进行 DRE。我们讨论了由于 MRI 的广泛采用，特别是在 COVID-19 时代，DRE 在现代前列腺癌诊断途径中的作用有限。
