Indicator Explainer
PSA
Prostate-specific antigen — a prostate tissue protein whose blood level rises in prostate cancer and in common benign conditions.
This page explains what the indicator is and how results are interpreted in general terms. Reference ranges depend on the laboratory, the method, and your own situation — no single “normal value” applies to everyone. This page is health information, not a diagnosis. For symptoms, treatment, or urgent concerns, contact a healthcare professional.
When it is tested
Measured in shared-decision discussions about prostate cancer screening, in evaluation of urinary symptoms, and in monitoring after diagnosis or treatment.
Reading results
PSA is not cancer-specific: benign enlargement, inflammation, urinary retention, cycling, and recent procedures all raise it, and some prostate cancers do not raise it at all. Age-specific and assay-specific ranges differ, and a single value should never drive a diagnosis — trends, ratios (free-to-total), and clinical findings carry the decision. Screening involves documented harms and benefits and is a shared decision.
Questions to ask a professional
- What could have transiently raised this value (cycling, infection, procedures)?
- What is the trend against earlier values on the same assay?
- What are the documented benefits and harms of further investigation at this level?