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What Does an Elevated PSA Indicate?

PSA is an acronym for "prostate specific antigen," a protein produced by the prostate gland that is then secreted into the blood stream. A healthy prostate secretes normal PSA levels of 0.0 to 4.0 nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood. An irritated, damaged or diseased prostate will secrete higher levels. A PSA test can determine and detect whether or not there is an abnormality affecting the prostate.

  1. Cancer Testing

    • A PSA test is a blood test taken to determine the level of PSA in the blood. Cancer cells secrete a high level of PSA, therefore an elevated PSA reading may suggest the possibility of cancer of the prostate. However there are other benign (noncancerous) prostate conditions that may cause an elevated PSA reading as well.

    Other Causes of an Elevated PSA

    • A urinary tract infection can irritate the prostate and cause an elevated PSA. Prostatitis--which is an infection of the prostate--stones in the prostate, recent prostate surgery, aging and benign enlargement of the prostate are all possible causes of an elevated PSA reading.

    Discussing Your Elevated PSA

    • Discuss the results of an elevated PSA reading with your healthcare provider. If there are no signs of cancer, repeat PSA tests and a DRE will be done to monitor and observe for any further changes. If a DRE reveals signs of a tumor, further testing will be done. These tests may include a urinalysis to look for a urinary infection or the presence of blood, a transrectal ultrasound, X rays, cystoscopy or a biopsy of the prostate.

    Raising PSA Levels After Prostate Cancer Treatment

    • A rising PSA level of a patient who has had treatment for prostate cancer should be discussed with your doctor. The doctor will evaluate, assess and trend the patient's PSA results over a period of time. In addition, other test results will be observed. If there is an abnormal DRE result, a positive prostate biopsy result or an abnormal computed tomography, prompt recommendations for further treatment may follow.

    Other PSA Readings and What They Mean

    • Men whose PSA level is elevated to 10.0 ng/ml are at a high risk for prostate cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS) these men have more than a 67-percent chance of succumbing to prostate cancer. PSA readings of 4.0 ng/ml and 10.0 ng/ml are considered to be in the "grey zone."

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