Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a substance released into a man's blood by his prostate gland. A (Prostate-specific antigen) PSA test measures the amount of prostate-specific antigen in the blood. Low amounts of PSA may be found in the blood of healthy men. The amount of PSA in the blood normally increases as a man's prostate enlarges with age. It is also increased by inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis) and by prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer often grows very slowly, without causing major problems. Detecting prostate cancer early and treating it may prevent some cancer-related health problems and reduce the risk of dying from the cancer.
In men who have total PSA values between 4.0 and 10.0, it is important to differentiate between free and total PSA (see above). A percent free PSA may be used to determine the relative risk of prostate cancer.
Call LabSafe toll free at 1-888-333-LABS to speak with a Medical Counselor for further information, or simply order PSA test online.
The following table lists the probability of prostate cancer for men with total PSA between 4 and 10 ng/mL, by patient age, and based on free PSA.
% Free PSA 50-64 Years 65-75 Years
0.00-10.00 56% 55%
10.01-15.00 24% 35%
15.01-20.00 17% 23%
20.01-25.00 10% 20%
25 5% 9%
