What Is PSA Count?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in American men. The CDC reported that 185,895 men received this diagnosis in 2005 alone. PSA testing is a very useful tool in determining a man's risk of prostate cancer.

PSA

• Prostate cells produce a small amount of a protein that is known as prostate specific antigen (PSA).

Normal

• Though most doctors and laboratories have their own protocol as to the normal range for PSA, a reading of four ng./ml. is on the high side of normal before adjusting for age or lifestyle.

Elevation

• When a man experiences an enlarged prostate, such as with benign prostate hypertrophy or prostatitis, most men will show an increase in PSA levels.

Depression

• A depressed PSA count is not thought of as cause for alarm. In general, the lower your PSA count, the better.

Reliability

• Just as there are situations that can deliver a false high, such as recent orgasm, there are situations that can deliver a false low, such as obesity or some medications. PSA testing is not flawless.

Cancer

• High PSA does not mean that you have cancer, but low PSA counts do not clear you. About 25 percent of men who have elevated PSA will receive a cancer diagnosis, and about 75 percent of men who are diagnosed will have had an elevated PSA.