interpreting psa results - mercy health foundation
TRANSCRIPT
A Catholic healthcare ministry serving Ohio and Kentucky
Understanding the PSA Test and its Results
Prostate-specificantigen,orPSA,isaproteinproducedbynormal,aswellasmalignant,cellsoftheprostategland.ThePSAtestmeasuresthelevelofPSAinaman’sblood.Forthistest,abloodsampleissenttoalaboratoryforanalysis.TheresultsareusuallyreportedasnanogramsofPSApermilliliter(ng/mL)ofblood.
WhatisanormalPSAtestresult?ThereisnospecificnormalorabnormalPSAlevelintheblood,andmanylevelsmayvaryovertimeinthesameman.MostdoctorsusuallyconsiderPSAlevelsof4.0ng/mLandlowerasnormal.However,recentstudieshaveshownthatsomemenwithPSAlevelsbelow4.0haveprostatecancer,andmanymenwithhigherlevelsdonothaveprostatecancer.ThemostimportantfactorisroutinePSAinvolvementandseeinghowlevelschangeeachyear.
WhattodoifelevatedPSAResult?• Ifamanwhohasnosymptomsofprostatecancergets
screenedandhasanelevatedPSA,anothertestmayberecommendedtoconfirmtheoriginalfinding
• Ifaman’sPSAlevelcontinuestoriseorifasuspiciouslumpisdetectedduringaDRE,thephysicianmayrecommendadditionalteststodeterminethenatureoftheproblem
• Ifprostatecancerissuspected,thedoctorwillrecommendaprostatebiopsy.Duringthisprocedure,multiplesamplesofprostatetissuearecollectedbyinsertinghollowneedlesintotheprostateandthenwithdrawingthem.
• ElevatedPSAlevelscanalsobecausedbymedicalprocedures,BPH,recentsexualintercourse,orprostateinflammation/infection
Limitationsandpotentialharms
ManytumorsfoundthroughPSAtestinggrowsoslowlythattheyareunlikelytothreatenaman’slife.Twocommonpotentialharmsexistinthiscase:• Overdiagnosis-Detecting
tumorsthatarenotlifethreatening,whichleadtounnecessarytreatment.
• Overtreatment-Treatingthesetumorsthatarenon-lifethreatening.ActiveSurveillanceisaviableoptionforsmall,low-risktumors.Overtreatmentexposesmenunnecessarilytothepotentialcomplicationsandharmfulsideeffectsoftreatmentsforearlyprostatecancer,includingsurgeryandradiationtherapy.