It's too bad that so many men avoid the DRE exam. For me it was the first step in my DX of Prostate Cancer. The second step was a biopsy that showed a very high Gleason score indicating a very aggresive cancer.
It's not just men avoiding it... There are doctors who will tell you that they 100% rely on PSA tests and no longer do the DRE. Personally, I have calcium deposits, so the DRE is of minimal value.