Showing posts with label prostate-specific antigen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label prostate-specific antigen. Show all posts

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Do I have Prostate Cancer ??

PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen

PSA test results report the level of PSA detected in the blood. The test results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA values below 4.0 ng/mL as normal. However, recent research found prostate cancer in men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL (2). Many doctors are now using the following ranges with some variation:

* 0 to 2.5 ng/mL is low.
* 2.6 to 10 ng/mL is slightly to moderately elevated.
* 10 to 19.9 ng/mL is moderately elevated.
* 20 ng/mL or more is significantly elevated.

There is no specific normal or abnormal PSA level. The higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that cancer is present.
prostate-specific antigen test result

A high PSA level has been linked to an increased chance of having prostate cancer. However, a high PSA level does not mean that you definitely have prostate cancer. A high PSA level only identifies patients at higher risk of having prostate cancer. People at higher risk may need to have more tests.