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PSA Testing By the Numbers
Is Your Reluctance to Get a PSA Exam Worth Dying Over?
You wouldn't take Brian Camboni, a 43 year old parts counter person, as a PSA testing crusader. But turns out he is. And isn't afraid to share his passion for health from annual prostate PSA tests with others who may not be as in the know about the dangers of prostate cancer as he is.|
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"Ever since my Dad found out from a PSA test that he had more than just swollen prostate problems I've become a believer," said Camboni. "And just in case, any prostate specific antigen (PSA) test measures blood levels of certain proteins that are released by your prostate." The American Cancer Society recommends men start having annual PSAs once they hit age 50. While African-Americans should start at age 45 since as a group they are prone to a higher prostate cancer rate. "If men would just get their PSA checked every year and then simply chart and track what their PSA is doing themselves, they can really get a good handle on things." |
Good as that advice is you still need a point of reference don't you? You know something to compare to? Or numbers you can use to see how your PSA testing results stack up.
Just don't expect a simple go/no go cut off. Few things in life are black and white. But here are some guidelines that you might consider PSA testing by the numbers.
Most PSA levels are reported as as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood. Don't get hung up on the science. Just remember that typically you'd want your PSA test results to come back at less than 1 ng/mL as lower psa numbers are better than an elevated psa level. One study reported that the median PSA level for men in their 40s was 0.7. Another study found the median to be 0.6. So that's the first rule of thumb.
Otherwise refer to this chart
» 0 - 2.5 ng/ml is considered lowThat gives you something to compare to okay?
» 2.6 - 10 ng/ml is slightly to moderately elevated
» 10 - 19.9 ng/ml is moderately elevated. PSA 10 or greater could mean a 40-50% chance of cancer being present.
» 20 ng/ml or higher is significantly elevated
Anything below 2ng/ml and is it not likely you have anything to check out further. While a PSA reading above 10 ng/ml and you would want to have a biopsy done. The gray area is numbers in the middle. '
Just remember that many cancer specialists now suspect that a high PSA level may be less significant than a sudden and sharp rise in PSA levels.
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