Prostate-specific antigen test is a blood screening method that searches for prostate-specific antigens in the bloodstream. The prostate-specific antigens are proteins produced by the prostate gland. They are found in the bloodstream in small amounts.
Doctors report PSA test results as nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood. High levels of PSA can be a sign of the presence of prostate cancer. PSA levels vary by age group, and no actual normal PSA level can guarantee that a patient is free from prostate cancer. The risk of one having prostate cancer increase as PSA levels elevate and in many men, the concentration of PSA rises with age. Although experts have created age-adjusted PSA ranges to estimate one's risk of prostate cancer, there's no proven normal PSA level by age. PSA can show patients if they are at risk, but there's no guarantee that if the levels rise above a certain mark, the patient has prostate cancer or if they are lower, one does not have the disease. PSA results below 4 ng/ml are often considered normal. Any level above this will have doctors recommend a biopsy to check for the presence of cancer. The age-specific reference ranges of PSA levels below help to identify the normal PSA levels by age. This helps to reduce unnecessary biopsy recommendations. • 0.7 ng/ml for men in the 40-year age group • 0.9 ng/ml for men in the 50-year age group • 1.2 ng/ml for men in the 60-year age group • 1.5 ng/ml for men in the 70-year age group The published normal PSA levels based on age and ethnicity include: • Between ages 40 to 49 - 0 to 2.0 ng/ml for Asian - African-Americans, and 0 to 2.5 ng/ml for Caucasians • Between ages 50 to 59 - 0 to 3.0 ng/ml for Asian-Americans, 0 to 4.0 ng/ml for African-Americans, and 0 to 3.5 ng/ml for Caucasians • Between ages 60 to 69 - 0 to 4.0 ng/ml for Asian-Americans, and 0 to 4.5 ng/ml for Caucasians and African-Americans • Between ages 70 to 79: 0 to 5.0 ng/ml for Asian-Americans, 0 to 5.5 ng/ml for African-Americans, and 0 to 6.5 ng/ml for Caucasians The adjusted PSA cut-off levels help to recognize significant tumors in all the age groups and reduce the number of biopsies.
0 Comments
|
AuthorAs the founder and medical director of the Prostate Seed Institute Dr. Gregory A. Echt. His vision to provide the most modern treatment, non surgical treatments for prostate cancer in various locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth continues to succeed. Now date, he has made a therapy for prostate implantation seed at over 2,500 men, including urologists and oncologists. Archives
December 2019
Categories |