Welcome to the Hot Topics podcast from NB Medical with Dr Neal Tucker. To DRE or not to DRE? This is the question and the main event in this episode.

We have a fantastic interview with Amy Rylance, Head of Improving Care at Prostate Cancer UK, and Sam Merriel, GP and academic clinical lecturer, discussing their recent Clinical Practice paper in the BJGP: Is the digital rectal exam any good as a prostate cancer screening test?

In other research, we have two papers with a common theme. Firstly, a paper in the BMJ looking at long-term outcomes after diagnosis with atrial fibrillation, and secondly, a paper in the BJGP examining the role of BNP testing as a marker for future cardiovascular disease in patients with a new diagnosis of hypertension. Both show that while these conditions make us think of stroke and MI, we also should be thinking about heart failure.

Resources

BJGP Clinical Practice paper on DRE for prostate cancer screening
Prostate Cancer UK Patient Risk Checker
European Urology Oncology Journal Performance of DRE in PCa Screening
NEJM 2004 Prevalence of PCa in men with a PSA <4
BMJ AF and future risk paper
BJGP HT and future risk paper

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