Prostate specific antigen (PSA) are proteins made in the prostate that circulate in the bloodstream. An elevated PSA could indicate prostate cancer. Other causes include an enlarged prostate (BPH), urination issues, or infection.
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is made by prostate cells. PSA acts to liquify semen. Both noncancerous and cancerous prostate cells make PSA, but cancerous cells tend to produce a larger amount. As a result, men with prostate cancer usually have high PSA levels, which the PSA blood test measures and screens.
High levels of PSA do not always mean cancer, and normal PSA levels do not guarantee cancer is not present. High levels of PSA may also result from an enlarged prostate (BPH) or prostatitis (prostate infection), urinating issue, or a bladder infection.
This Prostate Cancer Awareness Month, we want to stress a critical point. It’s 0.75. If your PSA increases by 0.75 in 1 year, it could be prostate cancer, and it’s essential to see a urologist. Your PSA number is important, and so is the rate at which it changes. There are men with a PSA of 20 who don’t have prostate cancer and men with a PSA of 2 who do because their PSA level increased quickly within a year.
A PSA test, along with a digital rectal exam (doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum) remains the best way to detect prostate cancer.
If prostate cancer is detected, PSA testing also can help determine the best treatments and prognosis.
While there are many different causes for an elevated PSA, it is most commonly due to one of the following: prostate cancer, enlarged prostate (BPH), urinary tract infection, inflammation, or trouble with urination.
Finding and treating prostate cancer early, when treatment might be more effective, may save lives. It is recommended that beginning at age 50, men should have a PSA test and DRE every year. Men at high risk, including African American men and men who have a father or brother with prostate cancer, should begin screening at age 40 to 45.
Often there are no symptoms associated with an elevated PSA; however, symptoms can include:
What to know before your visit to Michigan Institute of Urology in Southeast Michigan:
Tests that may be performed during or after your visit:
Prostate needle biopsy: