Table of Contents
Does enlarged prostate increase PSA?
BPH, also known as enlarged prostate, is common in older men. BPH can raise PSA levels and affect the bladder and urinary tract. Men with BPH may have difficulty urinating. If left untreated, it may also interfere with kidney function.
At what PSA level should I be concerned?
0 to 2.5 ng/mL is considered safe. 2.6 to 4 ng/mL is safe in most men but talk with your doctor about other risk factors. 4.0 to 10.0 ng/mL is suspicious and might suggest the possibility of prostate cancer. It is associated with a 25\% chance of having prostate cancer.
What level of PSA indicates prostate cancer?
About 15\% of men with a PSA below 4 will have prostate cancer if a biopsy is done. Men with a PSA level between 4 and 10 (often called the “borderline range”) have about a 1 in 4 chance of having prostate cancer. If the PSA is more than 10, the chance of having prostate cancer is over 50\%.
How often should you check your PSA levels?
If the PSA level is between 1 and 3 ng / mL, men should see their doctor for another PSA test every two to four years. If the PSA level is less than 1 ng / mL, men should see their doctor for another PSA test between the ages of 51 and 55. Men ages 50 to 59 should have their PSA level checked.
What PSA level indicates cancer?
The higher the level of PSA, the less likely that a result is a false positive. For men who have a biopsy for a PSA level between 4 nanograms per microliter (ng/mL) and 10 ng/mL, only one in four will be found to have prostate cancer. 23 When a PSA is greater than 10 ng/mL, around 42 percent to about 68 percent of men will have cancer. 24
What causes low PSA levels?
Low PSA levels generally indicate that a man does not have prostate cancer, but the PSA test is not 100 percent accurate because there are various factors that can cause a man’s PSA levels to fluctuate, states the National Cancer Institute. Urinary tract infections, prostate biopsies, prostatitis or prostate surgery may cause elevated PSA levels.
What are the reasons for elevated PSA levels?
Elevated PSA levels may indicate prostate cancer, a noncancerous condition such as prostatitis, or an enlarged prostate. Most men have PSA levels under four (ng/mL) and this has traditionally been used as the cutoff for concern about the risk of prostate cancer.