Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA): Why It Is Done

Content provided by Healthwise

Why It Is Done

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is done to:

• Watch prostate cancer and see if treatment is working. If PSA levels increase, the cancer may be growing or spreading. PSA is usually not present in a man who has had his prostate gland removed. A PSA level that rises after prostate removal may mean the cancer has returned or has spread.
• Check if cancer may be present when results from other tests, such as a digital rectal exam, are not normal. A PSA test does not diagnose cancer, but it can be used along with other tests to determine if cancer is present.
• Check men for prostate cancer. Experts disagree on the usefulness of PSA testing as a screening tool for prostate cancer. If a PSA test is used for screening, it is usually done for men older than age 50 or for those at high risk for prostate cancer, such as men with a family history of prostate cancer, or for African-American men who have a higher chance of developing cancer than other men. Since other common medical conditions, such as prostatitis, can cause high PSA levels, a prostate biopsy is needed to confirm a diagnosis of cancer.

Last updated:	May 15, 2007
Author:	Ralph Poore
Reviewed By:	Martin Gabica, MD - Family Medicine, Christopher G. Wood, MD, FACS - Urology/Oncology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer