Elevated PSA Readings

Your PSA readings can tell you important information regarding your prostate cancer risk, in association with the digital rectal exam (DRE).

They may also help guide you towards prostate cancer treatment options appropriate for your individualized care.

PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen and is a protein enzyme made in your prostate gland.

Your test results can give you an indication of the total amount and ratios of bound to unbound PSA.

Prostate Cancer Test Reliability

- Men with PSA scores less than 4 ng/ml have a 25% chance of developing prostate cancer.

- Men with PSA scores greater than 4ng/ml have an 80% chance of developing prostate cancer.

Two things to keep track of during a PSA test are;

1. The total PSA number.

2. The ratio of free (unbound) to total PSA (free/total).

Looking at your PSA Score

The factors that may influence your PSA readings are;

- Prostatitis (prostate inflammation)

- Enlarged prostate (BPH)

- Ejaculation (within 2 days)

There is some controversy around the PSA test in some countries. Some researchers believe the test has reliability problems, with many false positives that can arise.

Just because you may have a high PSA reading does not mean you may have prostate cancer!

High PSA Count Numbers

- Normal: 0-4 ng/ml

- Slightly Elevated: 4-10 ng/ml

- Moderately Elevated: 10-20 ng/ml

- Highly Elevated: 20+ ng/ml

Ratio of Bound and Unbound PSA

A better way to decipher your prostate cancer risk is through the measurement of the free/total PSA ratio. The main difference being some PSA are bound to proteins and some are not.

This is important because;

- Prostate cancer will show more bound PSA.

- Prostatitis and enlarged prostates will show more free PSA.

- If your free PSA is less than 25% of the total you only have a 10% to 20% of having prostate cancer.

- If your free PSA is less than 10% then your risk jumps to 50%.

Prostate Specific Antigen Velocity (PSA-V)

How fast your PSA count increases is measured as your PSA velocity. The faster your PSA rises the greater the chance of you having prostate cancer.

This is why doctors generally recommend a PSA test every year after 40 to track any irregularities.

PSA Readings Doubling Time (PSA-DT)

The doubling rate of your PSA can also be calculated as a risk factor for prostate cancer. It may be a warning of how virulent your prostate cancer may be.

A general rule of thumb for many doctors is to schedule a biopsy if your PSA test results have doubled within 3 years.