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Cancer Information Tips :: Normal PSA Levels
Normal PSA Levels: Getting Tested for Normal PSA Levels
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Normal PSA levels are important when it comes to prostate health.
There are no unique symptoms for an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer, and the symptoms that do develop happen later in the development of any prostate related illness.
To catch problems early, men who are at risk for developing prostate problems should have a PSA test to ensure that they have normal PSA levels.
What is PSA?
PSA is short of prostate specific antigen. PSA is an enzyme – a protein to be specific – produced in the ducts of the prostate gland.
PSA can become two proteins: anti-chymotrypsin (ACT) and alpha macroglobulin (aMG). It is mostly found in a man's semen, but is also found in the blood.
Normal & Abnormal Levels
The normal PSA levels for men is 0-4 nanograms per milliliter of blood. 4-10 nanograms per milliliter is slightly elevated. 10-20 nanograms per milliliter is moderately elevated.
Anything higher than 20 nanograms per milliliter is a highly elevated PSA level.
PSA Tests
To check for normal PSA levels, your doctor will take a blood sample. PSA tests will detect how much PSA is in the blood.
Moderately elevated levels may suggest an enlarged prostate. Highly elevated levels of PSA may indicate cancer. It takes more than one PSA test to detect cancer, though.
Other tests, like a digital rectal exam and perhaps a biopsy would be necessary to move forward with that diagnosis.
When to Get Tested
It is when men hit middle age that they are more vulnerable to developing an enlarged prostate or prostate cancer. So when a man turns 40, he should make an appointment to have his first PSA test.
Most men can then schedule a PSA test every five years until he is in his 50's.
Men who do not have normal PSA levels along with men at higher risk, like men with a family history of prostate cancer and groups at higher risk for prostate cancer like African American men should have annual PSA tests.
All men over 50 should have PSA tests every two to three years. If tests do not come back with normal PSA levels, they should consult their doctor and have appointments as recommended by their physician.
What Abnormal Levels Can Mean
Abnormal PSA levels suggest problems with your prostate. It does not necessarily mean that you have or are going to develop prostate cancer, but it could mean that you have benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis.
Any inflammation of the prostate can lead to physical discomfort and pain in the pelvic area. Since men are more and more vulnerable to enlarged prostates as they age, regular testing for normal PSA levels is very important.
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CancerInfoTips.com :: Normal PSA Levels