Total PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
Hormone markersWhat the test generally measures, and what to ask about it.
Longetic keeps every lab and record you’ve had organized and easy to find, so your own Total PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen) values sit together on one chart and you walk into your next appointment prepared.
What is Total PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)?
A protein made by the prostate gland whose blood level is used to help screen for and monitor prostate conditions in men.
PSA is a protein produced by both normal and cancerous prostate cells, so it applies to men. A higher level can be associated with prostate cancer, but it can also rise with a benign enlarged prostate, prostate infection, recent ejaculation or exercise, or a recent procedure, so it is not a diagnosis on its own. There is no single cutoff that means cancer; PSA is also widely used to watch for recurrence after prostate cancer treatment. Because screening carries a real chance of false positives and overtreatment, U.S. guidance frames PSA screening as an individual decision to discuss with a doctor (for men 55-69), and it is not recommended at age 70 and older.
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References
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