Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsNoncancerous Causes of a High PSADetecting Prostate Cancer
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Noncancerous Causes of a High PSA
Detecting Prostate Cancer
Theprostate-specific antigen (PSA) testis routinely used to screen for prostate cancer.
Prostate canceris just one of the conditions the PSA test can help diagnose. While a high PSA may be suggestive of a malignancy, the test alone cannot offer a diagnosis.Other lab tests and evaluations would be needed.
While prostate cancer is the main focus reason for this test, other noncancerous conditions can also cause the PSA to rise. The most common of these isprostatitis(inflammation of the prostate gland).
Prostatitis is, in fact, the most common cause of prostate problems in men under 50 and can take several forms:
What Is Prostatitis?
BPH is neither cancerous nor indicative of cancer. However, it is important to get a diagnosis and treatment for this condition because it can lead to complications such asurinary tract infections (UTIs), bladder stones, bladder damage, and kidney damage.
Placement of a foley catheter can result in temporary false elevation of PSA. In addition, sexual intercourse/ejaculation can also transiently raise PSA.
An Overview of Enlarged Prostate
In the past, doctors typically considered PSA levels of 4.0 or below to be normal. If levels were above 4.0, doctors would consider that to be a red flag for cancer and order abiopsy.
In recent years, however, doctors have come to understand that there is no real “normal” PSA value.In fact, men with a low PSA can have prostate cancer, while those with PSAs well above 4.0 could be entirely cancer-free.
As such, current guidelines recommend the use of both a PSA anddigital rectal exam (DRE)as part of voluntary prostate cancer screening.The DRE is a physical exam in which a finger is inserted into the rectum to evaluate the size and consistency of the gland. It is performed irrespective of PSA values and can be useful in detecting abnormalities.
The PSA test and DRE are recommended in men over 50 as well as those between the ages of 40 and 49 whose brother or father has had prostate cancer. Specific screening recommendations also differ based on other risk factors, such as race and personal history of other cancers.
Based on the results of the tests, the following would typically occur:
How Prostate Cancer Is Diagnosed
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mayo Clinic.PSA test.American Cancer Society.Tests to diagnose and stage prostate cancer.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate.Da Silva MHA, De Souza DB.Current evidence for the involvement of sex steroid receptors and sex hormones in benign prostatic hyperplasia.Res Rep Urol. 2019;11:1-8. doi:10.2147/rru.s155609National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).American Cancer Society.Screening tests for prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.Additional ReadingPinsky PF, Prorok PC, Kramer BS.Prostate cancer screening - a perspective on the current state of the evidence.N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 30;376(13):1285-1289. doi:10.1056/NEJMsb1616281.
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mayo Clinic.PSA test.American Cancer Society.Tests to diagnose and stage prostate cancer.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate.Da Silva MHA, De Souza DB.Current evidence for the involvement of sex steroid receptors and sex hormones in benign prostatic hyperplasia.Res Rep Urol. 2019;11:1-8. doi:10.2147/rru.s155609National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).American Cancer Society.Screening tests for prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.Additional ReadingPinsky PF, Prorok PC, Kramer BS.Prostate cancer screening - a perspective on the current state of the evidence.N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 30;376(13):1285-1289. doi:10.1056/NEJMsb1616281.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mayo Clinic.PSA test.American Cancer Society.Tests to diagnose and stage prostate cancer.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate.Da Silva MHA, De Souza DB.Current evidence for the involvement of sex steroid receptors and sex hormones in benign prostatic hyperplasia.Res Rep Urol. 2019;11:1-8. doi:10.2147/rru.s155609National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).American Cancer Society.Screening tests for prostate cancer.National Cancer Institute.Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
Mayo Clinic.PSA test.
American Cancer Society.Tests to diagnose and stage prostate cancer.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Prostatitis: inflammation of the prostate.
Da Silva MHA, De Souza DB.Current evidence for the involvement of sex steroid receptors and sex hormones in benign prostatic hyperplasia.Res Rep Urol. 2019;11:1-8. doi:10.2147/rru.s155609
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasia).
American Cancer Society.Screening tests for prostate cancer.
National Cancer Institute.Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test.
Pinsky PF, Prorok PC, Kramer BS.Prostate cancer screening - a perspective on the current state of the evidence.N Engl J Med. 2017 Mar 30;376(13):1285-1289. doi:10.1056/NEJMsb1616281.
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