What is a Transrectal Ultrasound Scan (TRUS)?
Ultrasound scans use sound waves to build up a picture of the inside of the body. In order to scan the prostate, a small lubricated probe is passed into the back passage and a picture of the prostate is produced. The insertion of the probe can be uncomfortable but should not hurt. It should only take a few minutes to perform the scan. The scan will measure the size of the prostate and it will also tell the doctors whether or not there are any abnormal areas within the prostate gland.





What is a Transrectal Ultrasound (TRUS) Guided Biopsy?
If your doctor has found a lump or hardening of your prostate, or if the result of your PSA blood test was elevated, he may want to obtain samples of cells from your prostate - a procedure known as a "biopsy".

The samples will probably be taken at the same time as your ultrasound scan and will be examined under a microscope in the pathology laboratory after the scan. The appearance of the cells in the biopsy will enable the doctors to determine the nature of your prostate disease. Although the biopsy can be uncomfortable, it is not necessary to have an anaesthetic although a local anaesthetic is sometimes given.

Are there any unwanted effects?
Sometimes the biopsy procedure can cause bleeding into the urine or from the back passage. Occasionally some patients notice blood or discolouration in the semen after the test. This is normal following the procedure and will stop. You may be given a course of antibiotics following the procedure to prevent the likelihood of any infection developing.

What happens after the scan?
Your doctor will discuss the results of the test with you when they become available. Unfortunately, biopsy of the prostate is not completely accurate. It is known that up to a fifth of small tumours can be missed. If the biopsy is negative, further measurements of PSA may be advised, and sometimes a further biopsy may be needed.