Friday, July 5, 2013

About PSA

The full form of PSA TEST is prostate specific antigen test.Now you probably thinking what is PSA? well,let me explain this:

The PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of PSA (prostate specific antigen) in your blood. PSA is made by the prostate gland, and some of it will leak into your bloodstream depending on your age and the health of your prostate.
A raised PSA level may mean you have prostate cancer. However, other conditions which are not cancer (for example, enlargement of the prostate, prostatitis, urinary infection) can also cause higher PSA levels in the blood. About 2 out of 3 men with a raised PSA level will not have prostate cancer. The higher the level of PSA, the more likely it is to be a sign of cancer. The PSA test can also miss cancer.

More about PSA TEST
Patients often eager to know the result after PSA test.Though they don't know about the PSA details.You can have basic idea about PSA when you will read the below result after PSA test.Normally doctors make decisions depending on these facts.These are :

If your PSA level is not raised, you are unlikely to have cancer and no immediate further action is needed, although you may have further tests to confirm the result.

If your PSA level is slightly raised, you probably do not have cancer, but you might need further tests, including more PSA tests.

If your PSA level is definitely raised, your GP will arrange for you to see a specialist for further tests to find out if you have prostate cancer.

If you have any questions or want to receive more information about PSA testing and prostate cancer you can discuss it with your doctor or practice nurse.

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