About PSA accuracy in identifying prostate cancer
May 30th, 2010 Posted in prostate cancer diagnosisThe prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, although considered a prostate-specific test, is not really an absolute definitive test for the cancer. According to statistics, the PSA test is known to be somewhere between 85 and 95 percent accurate in identifying prostate cancer.
While elevated PSA level test may suggest the presence of prostate cancer, it’s not an absolute, as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), better known as an enlarged prostate, can also elevate the PSA test results. Even prostatitis and lower urinary tract symptoms can show elevated levels of PSA, so if you have an elevated test result, don’t panic.
The prostate specific antigen (PSA) test, although considered a prostate-specific test, is not really an absolute definitive test for the cancer. According to statistics, the PSA test is known to be somewhere between 85 and 95 percent accurate in identifying prostate cancer.
While elevated PSA level test may suggest the presence of prostate cancer, it’s not an absolute, as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), better known as an enlarged prostate, can also elevate the PSA test results. Even prostatitis and lower urinary tract symptoms can show elevated levels of PSA. To complicate matters more, PSA levels can also increase with age, so if you have an elevated test result, don’t panic.
However, if PSA levels show an elevated result, your doctor will probably ask for a more complete and accurate assessment of the potential cancer. The last thing you want to do is to allow prostate cancer to grow beyond the prostate gland.
On the other hand, a normal result from a PSA test doesn’t guarantee that you’re free from cancer, nor does a higher-than-normal result mean you do have cancer.