Medical Questions » Pathology Questions » Question No. 779
| Question: | What do the results of the prostate cancer blood test mean? |
| Answer: | A test for the prostate specific antigen (PSA) can be used to follow the success of treatment for prostate cancer and infection. If the levels drop, treatment is successful, if they rise it is not.
There has been a lot of controversy about the use of this test as a screening test for prostate cancer. A level of PSA below 4 micrograms per litre is nearly always normal, but unfortunately, many conditions other than cancer can cause the results to be high, and so it is not an absolute test for prostate cancer. A combination of tests for different types of PSA (free and combined PSA) may be a better form of screening, but is quite expensive.
At present the best way to determine if a person has prostate problems is to question them about their toilet habits (can they start their stream of urine easily, and does the urine come out freely and hit the porcelain, or does it dribble on their boots), and to examine the prostate gland directly by placing a finger through the anus to feel the gland.
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