PSA Test to Check for Prostate Cancer

You can find various methods to check for prostate cancer, but the simplest test to recognize the development of this condition is prostate specific antigen test or PSA test.

Prostate CancerPSA is a non-invasive blood test that verifies the levels of particular antigen generated by the prostate.

This test gives an indication to your doctor whether there is a problem with prostate or not.

Unusually elevated levels of prostate specific antigen won’t indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

But, it signals that there is some problem with prostate and further testing is needed to confirm the problem.

Sometimes, you doctor suggests to repeat the test in 3-6 months to observe whether PSA levels are still high. Most of the prostate problems develop slowly, so repeat testing is often recommended.

There is a drawback with PSA test because it doesn’t give a clear cut ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer. But, it is an extremely important test to identify various prostate issues and avoid prostate cancer deaths each year.

There are three options after undergoing the PSA test:

  • If PSA is not raised, you are not at a risk of developing prostate cancer.
  • If PSA is slightly raised, you need to repeat the test.
  • If PSA is highly raised, you need a biopsy to know whether you have prostate cancer.