If your PSA level is raised, you may be referred to a specialist for a prostate biopsy. This is because a definite diagnosis of prostate cancer can only be made by taking cells from the prostate and then looking at them under a microscope. A biopsy involves using an ultrasound scanner to guide a metal probe into the rectum. This test can be uncomfortable, and sometimes painful.
The biopsy is not without risks. For example, there is a small risk of introducing infection into the prostate during the procedure, which can sometimes be serious. Some men bleed quite a bit following the procedure.
Also, the biopsy itself is not foolproof and 100% accurate. If the biopsy does not show any cancer cells, that doesn't completely rule out an early cancer. Of every 100 men who have cancer of the prostate, the biopsy will miss the cancer in about 20 of them.
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