RT Journal
A1 Lehrer S
T1 CLinical trial of rectal self-examination
JF Archives of Internal Medicine
JO Archives of Internal Medicine
YR 1979
FD October 1
VO 139
IS 10
SP 1194
OP 1194
DO 10.1001/archinte.1979.03630470102036
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archinte.1979.03630470102036
AB To the Editor.— 
    To test the adequacy and acceptability of rectal self-examination, I asked ten physicians and a medical technician to perform the maneuver on themselves. The results show that this method may improve the five-year survival rate of rectal and prostate cancer, which has changed little in the past 20 years.1-3Three of the physicians felt that the examination was comparable in adequacy to that performed on patients. Two physicians judged that, though they could not palpate as much in themselves as in a patient, they still were able to feel much of the rectal wall and part of the prostate. A sixth physician was not able to use his middle finger because of rectal spasm, but could perform a partial examination with his little finger. The medical technician had no difficulty palpating his entire rectal wall and prostate. The four remaining physicians refused to try the examination.