What does psa measure




















More Information Prostate cancer screening Prostate cancer. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Hoffman RM. Screening for prostate cancer. Accessed March 14, PSA screening adult.

Mayo Clinic; Prostate-specific antigen PSA test. National Cancer Institute. Ferri FF. Prostate cancer. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Goldman L, et al. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. Partin AW, et al. Diagnosis and staging of prostate cancer. In: Campbell-Walsh-Wein Urology. Freedland S.

Measurement of prostate-specific antigen. Prostate cancer: Screening adult. CDT Should men be concerned about prostate cancer? Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Learn more about this top honor. However, a single elevated PSA measurement in a patient who has a history of prostate cancer does not always mean that the cancer has come back.

A man who has been treated for prostate cancer should discuss an elevated PSA level with his doctor. The doctor may recommend repeating the PSA test or performing other tests to check for evidence of a recurrence.

Scientists are investigating ways to improve the PSA test to give doctors the ability to better distinguish cancerous from benign conditions and slow-growing cancers from fast-growing, potentially lethal cancers. None has been proven to decrease the risk of death from prostate cancer. Some of the methods being studied include:. Menu Contact Dictionary Search. Understanding Cancer. What Is Cancer? Cancer Statistics. Cancer Disparities. Cancer Causes and Prevention.

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Childhood Cancers Research. Global Cancer Research. Cancer Research Infrastructure. But we need more research to show how often you might need a test. You could discuss this with your GP or practice nurse, or call our Specialist Nurses. Having a PSA test is a personal decision — what might be important to one man may be less important to another.

Deciding whether or not to have a PSA test can be difficult. Before you decide, try asking yourself the following questions, or discuss them with your GP or practice nurse.

It might help to talk this over with your partner, family or friends. If you want to discuss the test, call our Specialist Nurses. They can help you understand your own risk of prostate cancer and talk you through the advantages and disadvantages of the PSA test. You may also find it helpful to fill out this information sheet. It has space to write down any risk factors or symptoms you have and lists questions you might want to ask your GP. You could have the sheet in front of you when you talk to your GP, to help guide your conversation.

Remember, the tests give your GP the best idea about whether you have a problem that needs treating. If you then decide that you want a test, your GP should give you one. A PSA test isn't suitable for everyone. For example, your GP may not recommend it if your general health means you wouldn't be fit enough for treatment for prostate cancer, or if treatment wouldn't help you to live longer.

It might help to print this webpage and take it to the appointment with you. You could also print and show them our information for GPs. You can also get advice and support from Citizens Advice. They can help you understand your risk of prostate cancer so that you can decide what to do next.

A baseline prostate specific antigen PSA test involves having a PSA test while your risk of getting prostate cancer is still low — for example in your 40s.

The aim of a baseline PSA test is not to help diagnose prostate cancer. Instead, some research suggests that it could be used to predict how likely you are to get prostate cancer in the future. If the test suggests you're at higher risk, you and your doctor may decide to do regular PSA tests to spot any changes that might suggest prostate cancer. For more information about baseline testing, speak to your GP. They invite all suitable people to have a test to find out if they are at risk.

In the UK there are screening programmes for breast, cervical and bowel cancer. Finding cancer early means it could be treated in time to get rid of it before it causes any problems. Some studies have found that screening with the PSA test could mean fewer men die from prostate cancer. But it would also mean that:.

While the PSA test on its own isn't suitable as a screening test for prostate cancer, researchers are working to find a test, or combination of tests, that might be suitable in the future. Why you might have tests, and what to expect at your GP surgery and at the hospital. One in eight men in the UK will get prostate cancer. Age, ethnicity and family history are also factors. Your doctor or nurse feels the prostate through the wall of the back passage to check for signs of cancer and to see if it is enlarged.

Learn how MRI scans can help to diagnose prostate cancer, the advantages and disadvantages of the scan, and what the results mean. Prostate tests. Social link. What is the PSA test? Why isn't there a prostate cancer screening programme? References and reviewers. Who can have a PSA test? What could affect my PSA level? A urine infection — You may have a test for a urine infection as this can raise your PSA level. Vigorous exercise — You might be asked not to do any vigorous exercise in the 48 hours before a PSA test.

Ejaculation — You may be asked to avoid any sexual activity that leads to ejaculation in the 48 hours before a PSA test. Anal sex and prostate stimulation — Receiving anal sex, or having your prostate stimulated during sex, might raise your PSA level for a while.

It might be worth avoiding this for a week before a PSA test. Other tests or surgery — If you've had any tests or surgery on your bladder or prostate, you may need to wait up to six weeks before having a PSA test. Urinary catheters — If you have a catheter to drain urine from your bladder, you may need to wait up to six weeks after it has been put in before having a PSA test. What will happen at the GP surgery?

What does the PSA test involve? It can take one to two weeks to get your test results. PSA testing in the community You may see PSA tests being offered in places such as community centres or football stadiums.

What will the test results tell me? What happens next? Your GP should discuss all of this with you, to help you decide what to do next. Regular PSA tests After some men have had their first PSA test they might want to have regular tests every few years, particularly if they have an increased risk of prostate cancer.

Advantages It can help pick up prostate cancer before you have any symptoms. It can help pick up a fast-growing cancer at an early stage, when treatment could stop it spreading and causing problems.

A regular PSA test could be helpful, particularly if you have an increased risk of prostate cancer. This could detect any unusual increase in your PSA level that might be a sign of prostate cancer.

The PSA test can miss prostate cancer. For example, one major study showed that 1 in 7 men 15 per cent with a normal PSA level may have prostate cancer, and 1 in 50 men two per cent with a normal PSA level may have a fast-growing cancer.

If your PSA level is raised you may need a biopsy. This can cause side effects, such as pain, infection and bleeding. But in most hospitals, men now have an MRI scan first, and only have a biopsy if the scan finds anything unusual. Being diagnosed with a slow-growing prostate cancer that is unlikely to cause any problems or shorten your life may still make you worry, and may lead you to have treatment that you don't need. But most men with low-risk, localised prostate cancer now have their cancer carefully monitored instead, and only have treatment if the cancer starts to grow.

Should I have a PSA test? Am I at increased risk of prostate cancer? If my PSA level was normal, would this reassure me? What would happen if my PSA level was higher than expected?



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