prostate cancer psa test

prostate cancer psa test questions and answers

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Q: Is a PSA blood test for prostate cancer a normal/usual part of an annual physical?


A: It should be, but do not take chances. Ask that the PSA blood test be a part of your annual physical. I survived Prostate cancer surgery. Cancer free for five years. My last PSA was 0,002. This is a slow growing cancer. Catch it at it's earliest stage. I did not, but as I said I am OK.

Q: Is total PSA test sure answer to ascertain prostate cancer?
Doest the test of total prostate antegen total give correct picture of having psotate cancer?

A: The PSA test is a good indicator, but it is not the complete answer.

Q: what would cause a hi psa test of the prostate other than cancer my test was 12 but i was put on antibiotics?


A: There are a number of causes...this website will tell you more: http://men.webmd.com/prostate-specific-antigen-psa I realize this is frightening at the moment, but take heart. A high PSA does not automatically mean cancer...and the PSA test is quite unreliable. Get yourself to a good urologist...there are many men with PSA's much higher than yours who are fine. All the best.

Q: how high does the blood test PSA for prostate, would it be cancer?`?
My dad is 4.something. he's wondering the 'nromal' number, if there are any? thanks

A: I have bi-lateral (both sides) prostate cancer and my PSA score was only 6 whereas my brother's cancer measured almost double the PSA and his only affected one side. A 4 isn't really cause for concern. There is a big "but" though. The PSA should only serve as an indicator that more examination is needed. A rectal exam (digital), possibly ultra-sound and a biopsy are needed to rule in/out cancer. I don't believe there is a "normal" number but the "ideal" number would be "<.1" which translates to "no sign of cancer" or "PSA unmeasurable", and is a figure I look forward to seeing every time my semi-annual PSA results come back. Even if your dad's prostate turns out to show cancer (God forbid), unless that cancer shows signs of being of an aggressive type, he will have plenty of time to weigh his options since prostate cancer is normally a very slow growing type of cancer and there are many options for treating it.

Q: Can anyone explain the significance of the PSA test in someone who had his prostate removed because of cancer?
He had cancer of the prostate that had metast. into part of the rectum and underwent surgery in December, they removed "all of it" (the prostate and part of rectum) and gave him a colostomy and now are talking about some sort of hormone therapy because his PSA is still high. If he has no Prostate what is the significance of the PSA test???

A: The PSA is the reading of the fluids in the prostate. If there is a PSA and the prostate has been removed, there is cancer somewhere in the body

Q: What does the ProstAsure prostate cancer screening test cost, and do most major medical insurers cover it?
I am going back this week for another PSA test, but want to have the doc also do a PSA ratio test and also a ProstAsure score. Anyone familiar with these and would my insurance co (United Health Care) cover it? (I find nothing in my booklet that says they don't, but the ProstAsure doesn't seem to have a whole lot of discussion on the web. thanx.

A: Here's one source but I'm not sure about its reliability: http://www.newsrx.com/newsletters/Sex-Weekly-Plus/1998-03-16/199803163336SW.html According to this (reputable source) it is indeed a valid and useful test: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=9457308&itool=pubmed_AbstractPlus As far as I know United Healthcare has direct contracts with these two laboratories: LabCorp (http://labcorp.com/dos/index.html) and QuestDiagnostics (http://labcorp.com/) direct contract means your insurance will pay for tests performed by this lab as long as your doctor provided an appropriate diagnosis on the test request form. Unfortunately, none of them have this test listed. However, they could send it to a third party (another lab they have partnership with - it would be treated as a "send out test") and it might still be covered by your insurance. QuestDiagnostics often uses Mayo Clinic lab as a partner; Lab Corp has many partner labs. Try talking to your doctor first. However, in the doctor's office they might not feel like investigating this for you because it's a lot of work and no gain for them. Try talking to these two labs - request to talk to the Send-Out department right away and ask them if they could do this test as a send-out to another lab. If the answer is yes, request detailed info (which lab can perform it, test code, if they know the cost etc.) then call your insurance with this information and have them find out for you if it is covered. Always get full names and titles of the people you talk to. Good luck!

Q: In prostate tests PSA what is the difference between total psa and free psa?
What is the normal range? And how can it be that if there is ANY prostate specific antigen int he blood that there is no prostate cancer? Doesnt the existence of any PSA mean that the body is reacting with antibodies against cancerous cells in the prostate?

A: PSA starts out in the fluid that carries sperm. PSA is a protein normally made in the prostate gland in ductal cells. These cells make some of the semen that comes out of the penis during sexual climax (orgasm). PSA helps to keep the semen liquid. PSA is measured by nanograms per millimeter of blood. Most men have under 4 nanograms. Anything higher can indicate prostate cancer. PSA traveling alone is called free PSA. The free-PSA test measures the percentage of unbound PSA. Rather than subject everyone with an elevated PSA to a biopsy, some urologists measure free PSA in patients with a total PSA level between 4 ng/ml and 10 ng/ml. A PSA level of 4 to 10 ng/ml is considered slightly elevated; levels between 10 and 20 ng/ml are considered moderately elevated; and anything above that is considered highly elevated The presence of PSA does not necessarily mean that the body is reacting against cancer cells. Other conditions can affect PSA: * Prostatitis and Lower Urinary Tract symptoms (LUTS) can elevate PSA * BPH (benign hypertrophy or enlargment of the prostate) can elevate PSA * Prostate cancer (PCa) often elevates PSA -- but not always. Some of the most aggressive types of prostate cancer do NOT make or "leak" high levels of PSA. Prostatitis and BPH are much commoner than prostate cancer.

Q: PSA test result is 5, is it already spread around the body yet?
My dad's PSA test came back as 5, and the doctor said there may be a chance of Prostate cancer.. At PSA number 5, is there a chance that it has already spread into the body, or is it still in the prostate area? Thanks. He is 56 years old. His PSA score increased more than 0.75 ng in a time span of 12 months. The doctor says that, that is a indicator of cancer.

A: With a PSA of 5 there is a good chance he doesn’t even have cancer. It is not possible to diagnose cancer by a PSA result alone and it is also impossible to know the extent of the disease by a PSA alone. It is only a tumor marker and was never intended to be used to diagnose cancer. The doctor did tell you there is a “chance” of prostate cancer. You should believe him. UPDATE: Yes it is an indicator, but not a diagnosis. At this point IF he does have prostate cancer the chance it is beyond the prostate is minuscule. Typically prostate cancer is very slow growing and it is not uncommon to see a man with this disease for 15-20 years.

Q: very high psa test can this be caused by prostatitis i dont have prostate cancer i am glad of that .?
i have a large prostate

A: Your urologist should have gone over this with you, but yes it can be cause by prostatitis. Although your age and how high your PSA is makes a difference.

Q: Why do urologists use psa tests of blood to determine whether there is a likelihood of prostate cancer?
The blood has all sorts of debris and material that could affect the psa reading for example ,medications, vitamin pills, over the counter medications, as well as bacteria, and waste products headed for the kidneys. Shouldn't there be a better way to determine cancer of the prostate, such as a marker in ejaculatory semen, which is straight from the prostate, and not a bi-product of cancer's presence such as prostate specific antigen that floats around in the blood, is the product of a reaction or process going on in the prostate and is subject to many substances in the blood that could mimic or otherwise affect a prostate specific antigen test?

A: Blood is involved in immunity where semen is not, so the blood tends to pick up these bad cells out of the tumor. Also, it is much easier to collect blood than semen, especially in older men.

Q: test of prostate all negative by specialist except PSA little high. only reg. MD claims CANCER. others disagre
colonoscopy, biopsy, stress test negative. PSA above normal. Specialist claim OK. Reg doc insist cancer and to do nothing due to age. Claims have 3 to 5 years left. Whom or what does one do? medical profession suggestion....please... PSA 6 to 11........late 70's....

A: How old are you and how high is your PSA? I'd be more inclined to trust the specialist...but I need to know more

Q: prostate cancer?
my dad has just been disgnosed with advanced prostate cancer. does anyone have experience of this in their family and how this progresses? i have been advised to have a psa test a s a p to determine wether i have it too as it ispossibly a genetic thing. my dad is 73 i am 50. should i worry or is there cause for hope?

A: If the cancer is still confined to the prostate then his chances for treatment and cure are good. If the cancer has spread it is more difficult. At your age you should be having a psa with your annual check ups. They do not know if this is genetic, but every male has the potential for prostate problems. Between the ages of 50 to 59 you have a 50% chance of some problems, not necessarily cancer. When you are older than 60 your odds go up. You must have testing done on a regular schedule. With early detection prostate cancer is easily treatable.

Q: my husband has been told he should get tested for prostate cancer. what does this test involve please?
i was told he would get a blood test with a psa search but i have no idea what it means

A: The first test is indeed called PSA = prostatic specific antigen. It is a screen test, generally a prostate examination , just with a rectal exam is done together with this test. It is a screen test and gives a lot of false positives, as the level is also raised in PBH = benign prostatic hypertrophy. It also occasionally gives false negatives, i.e. it can be normal in patients with prostate cancer, so the result alone needs to be viewed with caution. The test is currently used for routine screening ( all men over 40 get the test a bit like cervical screening ) in US but not in UK where doctors have concerns about its reliability and indeed are sometimes unsure how to proceed if the test result is a low positive.

Q: Does having a high PSA mean there is cancer?
My dad is 55 years old and went to see the doctor yeaterday in which they did a PSA test and the result was a 39, the doctor told him it was bad news and reffered him to a uronologist... does this mean he has prostate cancer? I have read that PSA test are not 100 percent accurate and it doesnt necessarily mean there is cancer it might be some kind of inffection or something else. I am extremely worried about my father as he is to , he wont know anything until he sees the uronologist, If anyone has any info to share I appreaciate it

A: Your concern is understandable, and he should see a urologist because it's definitely possible that the high PSA is from prostate cancer. That said, it may still be treatable. Here's what to expect: The urologist will do a rectal exam, and then ultrasound-guided biopies will usually be performed. It can take a week or so to get the biopsy report back. Then the urologist can discuss the results and whether any additional testing is necessary. If your dad has prostate cancer, then it will be important for him to learn more about treatment options. Radiation therapy can be equally effective as surgery, but further testing may be needed first. Hopefully this won't be necessary, but seeing the urologist will likely come with some more time waiting to get an answer. Hang in there, and your dad's lucky to have you for support.

Q: Is Prostate cancer more prevalent among non-white males than white males? If so, why & to what extent?
Additionally, what percent of PSA tests give false positives? What percent of PSA tests give false negatives?

A: No.