Prostate cancer risk increases with age. According to the American Cancer Society, men should begin considering routine screening for prostate cancer beginning around age 50. The early stages of prostate cancer present a number of symptoms, including restricted or altered urine flow, pain while urinating or ejaculating, and partial urinary incontinence. Whether you suspect the worst or are merely following a screening routine, a PSA test can help uncover the presence of prostate cancer.
PSA Procedure
Understand the basics behind the PSA test to decide whether it is a good screening tool for your specific purposes. According to the National Cancer Institute, a PSA test is a blood test that is performed to determine the body's level of PSA (prostate specific antigen). PSA is a naturally occurring substance that is secreted by the prostate gland in varying amounts. The PSA test is not normally used alone, but is often coupled with a digital rectal screening as well to determine whether there are abnormalities in the structure of the prostate itself.
PSA Results
Know that according to the NCI, there is no generic range of PSA that necessarily indicates the presence of cancer with any reliability. This is because the PSA test is merely taking a snapshot of your body's PSA level at any one point in time. Thus a one-time, higher-than-normal reading could be caused by any number of natural fluctuations in the body's chemistry as opposed to prostate cancer. Considering this, the current prevailing view according to the NCI is that elevated PSA levels are merely a reason to investigate further with additional tests, as opposed to a sole determinate of the presence of cancer. These additional tests could range from a biopsy to something as simple as an increasing frequency of additional PSA tests to continue observing for additional abnormalities.
Tags: additional tests, body level, presence cancer, prostate cancer, prostate cancer
