These findings along with a freely mobile prostate, normal serum acid phosphatase and normal skeletal radiographs suggested organ-confined disease and provided enough evidence to initiate radical treatment. In 1953, Colby retrospectively reviewed 100 prostatectomy specimens for presumed prostate cancer and of these 42 were performed solely on the basis of an abnormal digital rectal examination (DRE) (Colby 1953). He found that without a histological diagnosis the surgeon correctly diagnosed cancer only 58% of the time consequently 42% of patients had had prostatectomy for benign disease
