PSA Levels
Your PSA levels show the amount of Prostate Specific Antigen present in your blood. PSA is formed in the prostate gland, and the amount that has leaked into the bloodstream gives an indication of the health of the prostate (although PSA levels in the blood will also increase with age).
Do Raised PSA Levels Mean Prostate Cancer?
Although the PSA test, which measures PSA levels, can be used to look for signs of prostate cancer, there are many other conditions which can cause raised PSA levels. These include:
- Urinary infection
- Enlarged prostate
- Prostatitis
Two thirds of men who have raised PSA levels will not have prostate cancer, and a few men whose PSA levels appear to be normal will have prostate cancer. This is why many countries do not endorse routine PSA screening as a test for prostate cancer. However, in general the higher PSA levels are the more chance there is that you have prostate cancer.
There are several things you can do before a PSA test to make sure your PSA levels are not artificially high. You should no ejaculate for 48 hours before a PSA test, or exercise heavily, as both of these activities will naturally increase PSA levels. Your PSA levels will also be high after a digital rectal exam and during a urinary infection.
What are Normal PSA Levels?
Normal PSA levels are hard to define because they depend greatly on the individual. For many years it was believed that anything below 4ng/l was normal, but it was discovered that many men with apparently normal PSA levels actually had prostate cancer.
These days age adjusted PSA levels are often used. For example men under 50 are expected to have PSA levels below 2.4ng/l, whereas men over 70 are only expected to have PSA levels under 6.5ng/l.
Regular PSA screening has the advantage that it can pick up sudden or dramatic increases in PSA levels, which can often give doctors more information than the actual level itself.
If you are unsure about having a test to check out your PSA levels, check out our post on the pros and cons of PSA tests.
