The early detection and staging of prostatic carcinoma are challenging the diagnostic acumen of urologists. Mass screening programmes of asymptomatic men are not justified, as only a small number of cases are diagnosed when the tumour is confined to the prostatic capsule. Diagnostic work-ups of symptomatic men yield a similarly low rate of detection. The most extensively used diagnostic methods include digital rectal examination (DRE), transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) assay. Although DRE is an inexpensive technique that improves early detection, its sensitivity and specificity are low. The specificity and sensitivity of TRUS are higher, but false-positive and false-negative rates are significant. In a study of 566 patients, the rates were 86% and 84%, respectively. A determination of PSA may be informative in the early stages of prostatic cancer, but confirmation of the results by other methods is necessary. Thus, there is no safe method to achieve early diagnosis and precise staging of prostatic carcinoma. Only clinical trials comparing all the different methods will help to establish the definitive role of each one.