If the level of PSA in your blood is higher than normal, you will probably need to have a biopsy. This is because doctors can only tell whether or not you have prostate cancer by taking cells from the prostate and then looking at them under a microscope.

A biopsy involves using an ultrasound scanner to guide a plastic probe into the rectum. A needle is then passed through the wall of the rectum to take a sample of cells from the prostate gland. Men who have had this done tend to describe it as uncomfortable or painful. You won't need a general anaesthetic, though you may be given a local one if needed.

The biopsy is not without its own risks. As there is a chance of infection, you will be given antibiotics after the procedure. For every 100 men having a biopsy, about three will have to have a second course of antibiotics, and one will need to be admitted to hospital for antibiotics to be given by drip (into a vein). About 30 men may have some bleeding in the urine or semen, or see blood in their bowel motions, for up to three weeks afterwards.

The biopsy itself is not totally accurate. If the biopsy does not show any cancer cells, this does not completely rule out cancer. Of every five men who have cancer of the prostate, the biopsy will miss the cancer in about one of them. So you might need to have further PSA tests and biopsies to monitor your prostate.