Elevated PSA levels can indicate prostate cancer or other issues

If you’re a man age 55 to 70, you are probably familiar with the PSA test, or prostate-specific antigen test. The PSA blood test measures the level of prostate-specific antigen in your blood. Your prostate gland produces this protein, but when there is a problem, the prostate releases more of the protein into your blood, causing elevated PSA levels. Our Houston urologists know that an elevated result on the PSA test concerns patients, so we want you to understand more about the test and the results.

The PSA blood test

The PSA test is a screening test for prostate cancer; however, elevated PSA levels don’t always mean that you have cancer. A normal PSA level is 4.0ng/mL or lower. A level over 4.0 is high, and a level over 10ng/mL is concerning. The most common reason for elevated levels is prostate cancer, but several other things can raise your PSA level.

• Age
• Inflammation from prostatitis
• UTI, or urinary tract infections
• Use of urinary catheters
• Enlarged prostate caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)
• Taking testosterone or other medications
• Biking for long distances

If you have elevated PSA levels, you may need more testing or a physical examination

If you have a PSA blood test that shows elevated levels, our Houston urologists will talk to you about potential factors that could raise your PSA, as well as your family and health history. Here are some things our physicians may recommend.

• If you don’t have any prostate cancer symptoms, our urologists may wait and perform another PSA test.
• Our urologists may recommend another PSA test and a digital rectal examination.
• Our team may take a urine sample to check for infection.

If you address the factors that may be causing elevated PSA levels, and your PSA test results are in the normal range the second time, you and your doctor will continue to perform the test annually or as needed. If you have a second test with elevated results, and an examination and testing can’t find the cause, you will need further testing.

The next steps if your levels continue to be elevated

The PSA test most men take measures the total PSA, but there are more specific PSA tests that our urologists may recommend. If additional testing continues to cause concern, or if our physicians find something during your physical examination, you may need to have a prostate biopsy. There are different types of biopsies, but, in every case, the goal is to collect tissue samples from your prostate gland to test for prostate cancer.

Our Houston urologists provide expert diagnosis and treatment for prostate problems

Remember, elevated PSA levels don’t always indicate prostate cancer. Our highly trained and skilled urologists can help you understand your tests and next steps, and will help you get the most accurate diagnosis available. Contact us for an appointment.