Question: What exactly does it mean when a person has a high PSA level?
Answer: The PSA is a test used to measure a substance called prostate specific antigen in the blood. It is used as a screening tool for prostate cancer.
In a healthy male, the PSA should be less than 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Anything higher than 4 can indicate prostate cancer.
Keep in mind that PSA tests are notorious for producing false positives. Other tests such as a biopsy or DRE may be performed to further evaluate the prostate for cancer.
There are other factors that can elevate the PSA levels, such as:
In a healthy male, the PSA should be less than 4 nanograms per milliliter of blood. Anything higher than 4 can indicate prostate cancer.
Keep in mind that PSA tests are notorious for producing false positives. Other tests such as a biopsy or DRE may be performed to further evaluate the prostate for cancer.
There are other factors that can elevate the PSA levels, such as:
-
ejaculation (no ejaculation at least two days prior to test)
- PSA levels can naturally increase with age
- inflammation of the prostate gland
- non cancerous enlargement of the prostate
