There are many ways of screening and diagnosing male reproductive cancers. A physician will take a medical history and perform a physical examination that may include:

• A digital rectal exam (DRE) to screen for prostate cancer. The physician carefully inserts a gloved, lubricated finger into the rectum to feel for abnormalities in the prostate.
  
  
• Feeling the testicles for lumps, swelling or tenderness.
  
  
• Inspecting and feeling the penis for any abnormalities.
  
  
• Feeling the abdomen for signs of enlarged lymph nodes.

Other diagnostic methods involve:

• Blood tests. A sample of blood is typically drawn from a vein in the arm. Many cancers produce tumor markers, which are proteins that may indicate the extent of cancer that is present, how well a treatment is working or whether a tumor has recurred. Types of tumor markers include:
  
  
• • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA). Prostate cancer usually raises the PSA level in blood above the normal 4 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL). PSA may be slightly elevated without cancer being present. However, men with undifferentiated (very malignant) prostate cancers can have normal or low levels of PSA.
    
    
  • Alpha-fetoprotein and beta-human chorionic gonadotropin. Elevated levels suggest testicular cancer.
    
    
• Ultrasound. A machine that uses harmless sound waves to create images of the prostate, testicles, penis or other body parts on a video monitor.
  
  
• Biopsy. A sample of tissue is taken from the prostate or penis for examination under a microscope. In rare cases, a physician may surgically open the scrotum to take a biopsy of a testicle.
  
  
• CAT scan (computed axial tomography). This type of x-ray test takes several pictures to create cross-sectional images of the body. This can help reveal the location of the cancer and if a cancer has spread to other organs in the body.
  
  
• MRI (magnetic resonance imaging). This procedure uses radio waves and magnetism instead of x-rays to create images that are similar to but more detailed than CAT scans.
  
  
• PET scan (positron emission tomography). Sugar containing a radioactive substance is injected into the vein and collects in cancerous tissue. It can detect the location of cancer and help reveal whether the cancer has invaded the lymph nodes.
  
  
• Bone scan. Images are taken after a radioactive tracer is injected into the patient’s arm to highlight bone structures. This is most commonly used to determine if prostate cancer has spread to the bone.