PSA BLOOD TEST

Interpreting Results

Men choosing to undergo PSA testing should remember these important factors about the test results:

• • Three common prostate diseases- prostatitis, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostate cancer-can all-cause elevated PSA levels in the blood.
  • PSA levels tend to increase with age.
  • Larger prostates produce larger amounts of PSA.
  • Medications, trauma or certain medical procedures (such as a prostate biopsy or cystoscopy) can affect PSA test results.
  • Change in PSA levels over time, known as PSA velocity, is used to assess both cancer risk and aggressiveness. Men whose PSA levels rise sharply over a short period are more likely to have prostate cancer than those who do not see significant changes in their PSA velocity.

What do I do if My PSA or Physical Exam is Abnormal?

If your physician detects an abnormal PSA or a lump on your prostate on the exam, you will be referred to a Urologist for evaluation and possible biopsy. This is a simple procedure that can be done in a few minutes in their office. If the biopsy is positive, the cancer is assigned a Gleason score between 2 -10; with 2 being a slower growing type of cancer and 10 a more aggressive type.

Diagnosis & Staging

What do you do if your PSA blood test or physical exam is abnormal?

If your primary care physician detects an abnormal PSA or a lump in your prostate during a physical exam, you will be referred to a Urologist for evaluation and consideration for a biopsy. This is a simple procedure that can be done in a few minutes in the Urologist’s office. With an ultrasound in the rectum, thin needles can be inserted into the prostate to remove tiny fragments for evaluation. Typically at least eight biopsies are performed, four from each side of the prostate. These biopsies are sent to a lab where a physician will determine if cancer is present. If so, they will then determine how aggressive the cancer is. A scoring system, called the Gleason score, assigns the cancer a number from 2 – 10, with 2 being a less aggressive cancer, and 10 being a more aggressive cancer.