What is prostate-specific antigen level?

What is prostate-specific antigen level?

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by normal, as well as malignant, cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. For this test, a blood sample is sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Is prostate-specific antigen bad?

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening is not the panacea that enthusiasts hoped for, but it is not worthless. Men who have elevated PSA need to be aware that a prostate biopsy can identify both clinically significant and insignificant cancers and that intervention can affect quality of life.

Is prostate-specific antigen a tumor marker?

The most frequently used PSA test is the total PSA, which measures the sum of cPSA and fPSA in the blood. The PSA test may be used as a tumor marker to screen for and to monitor prostate cancer. The goal of screening is to detect prostate cancer while it is still confined to the prostate.

What do you need to know about prostate specific antigen?

What is a prostate-specific antigen (PSA)? Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Blood levels of PSA can be elevated in men with prostate cancer. For this reason, measurement of PSA in the blood has been used as a screening test for prostate cancer.

What kind of protein does the prostate gland produce?

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by normal, as well as malignant, cells of the prostate gland.

What kind of PSA test is used for prostate cancer?

The total PSA is what is measured with the standard PSA test. More recently, a precursor of PSA, proenzyme PSA ([-2] proenzyme PSA), has been identified, which may be helpful in determining prostate cancer risk in men with a PSA under 10 and a normal digital rectal examination.

Which is better prostate specific antigen or Dre?

Occasionally, the PSA is elevated but the DRE, does not reveal any abnormalities. Sometimes the opposite is true, and PSA is normal, but the DRE is abnormal. For this reason, the Prostate Specific Antigen PSA blood test combined with the DRE is best for early detection.