What is the Psa Test?

A blood test called the PSA test can make it easier to find prostate cancer. However, it's not ideal and won't detect every case of prostate cancer. The examination, which may be completed at a doctor's office, gauges your blood's PSA concentration.

Only the prostate gland produces the protein known as PSA. Your age and the condition of your prostate will determine how much of it escapes into your blood.

You might wish to consult with your GP, the practice nurse, your partner, a friend, or a family member before opting to have the PSA test.

You are more likely to develop prostate cancer if you:

• Have prostate cancer in your family
• Are obese or overweight and of black ethnic ancestry

When is Psa performed?

You may require PSA testing seen between the ages of 40 and 54 even if the usual recommendations call for starting at age 55 if you: Must have had at minimum one first-degree family (such as your father or brother) who has had prostate cancer. Possess at least two prostate cancer survivors in your extended family.

What does a Psa detect?

A blood test called the PSA test can help find prostate cancer. However, it's not ideal and won't detect every case of prostate cancer. The examination, which may be completed at a doctor's office, gauges your blood's PSA concentration. Only the prostate gland produces the protein known as PSA.

For patients who report prostate symptoms, healthcare professionals frequently employ PSA testing (together with a DRE) to help them identify the source of the issue. Several benign (non-cancerous) diseases, including prostatitis (prostate inflammation) and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), can raise a person's PSA level in addition to prostate cancer (enlargement of the prostate). Although there is no proof that either disease increases the risk of developing prostate cancer, a person with one or both of these illnesses may nonetheless do so.

What are the benefits of this test?

The most popular way to screen for prostate cancer is with the PSA test. PSA testing can assist in detecting the condition early on when therapy may be more beneficial and might result in fewer adverse effects. The digital rectal exam (DRE), in which a doctor puts a masked finger into the rectum to inspect the prostate for abnormalities, may be performed with the PSA test.

Pros

If the test results are normal, it might reassure you that PSA testing can detect early cancer indications, allowing you to receive treatment sooner if you do have cancer.

Cons

• It can fail to detect cancer and give erroneous comfort.
• It could result in pointless anxiety and medical examinations. when cancer is absent
• It is unable to distinguish between tumors with rapid growth and those with slower growth.
• Finding a slow-growing malignancy that might never create any issues could scare you.

When should I know the results of the Psa test?

Your Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) sample will be taken and processed in the lab as part of this test. Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) test results are reported after two days (s).

Psa Test Results range

PSA concentrations of 4.0 ng/mL or less were regarded as normal. Nevertheless, many people with higher PSA levels between 4 and 10 ng/mL do not have prostate cancer, as well as some people with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL do.