PSA test
Meaning of PSA test: This blood test measures prostate specific antigen, a protein that can rise with prostate cancer but also with several noncancerous prostate conditions.
Definition of PSA test
A PSA test is a blood test that measures the level of prostate specific antigen, a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. A small amount of PSA normally circulates in the blood, and the level can rise when something affects the prostate.
An elevated PSA level can occur with prostate cancer, but it can also rise with benign prostatic hyperplasia, an enlargement of the prostate that is not cancer, as well as with infection or inflammation of the prostate gland, and even with recent activities such as ejaculation or a medical procedure involving the prostate.
Because PSA can be elevated by several different conditions, an abnormal result is generally interpreted alongside a physical examination and other clinical information, and a single elevated level does not by itself confirm or rule out prostate cancer.
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Used in a sentence
A PSA test was ordered as part of the patient's routine evaluation.
Good to know
An elevated PSA level does not distinguish between prostate cancer and noncancerous causes such as benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostatitis, so further evaluation is generally needed to determine the reason for the increase.