Take That Prostate PSA Test to Prevent Prostate Cancer

One of the most common types of cancer that affects males is prostate cancer. In the United States, in fact, there is one case for every 6 men. The cancer grows slowly and is usually concentrated on the prostate gland. There are patients who do not show any symptoms because their cancer grows too slowly while others grow so rapidly that they immediately need to be treated.

One way to detect prostate cancer is through the measurement of the prostate PSA level. Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is the protein naturally present and produced by the cells in the prostate gland. Normal men have small amounts of the PSA while those with cancer have high levels of this serum.

The test is conducted through blood sampling where the PSA is measured. This test is the most effective way to detect prostate cancer and is necessary in order to treat the cancer at the early stages of its development.

Most of the treatments for prostate cancer will rely on the prostate PSA level. If the results of the tests will be high level, the doctor will prescribe a series of blood tests and other tests to make a confirmed and definite diagnosis.

Depending on the outcome of the tests prescribed, the doctor will order any or combination of the most common treatments for this cancer. One such method is watchful waiting, which involves nothing but sessions to observe the growth of the cancer cells. Using this method, the doctor will keep track of the prostate PSA levels of the patient. Rectal exams are necessary for any changes in the size of the organ.

Since the growth for some is really slow, there really is no need to intervene. It is just recommended that the patient keep his appointments for continuous observation. Patients should be conscious about the symptoms especially where their urination is concerned. Most of the symptoms are detected through several problems with urinating.

Men aged 50 above are recommended for this test to detect cancer. These older men are more at risk of developing the cancer cells because prostate glands grow bigger as they age and they also become more prone to the cancer.

The normal prostate PSA level for men 60 years old and below is about 2.5 ng/ml. If older than 60, a man can have as high as 4.0 ng/ml because the prostate gland may have already enlarged at this point. Enlarged prostate glands produce more PSA. Cells affected with cancer are able to produce up to 10 times more PSA than a regular, normal prostate gland cell. So, when the cancer cells grow, there will be higher levels of PSA that go into the bloodstream - that's why a PSA test is likely to detect prostate cancer.

There are cases when the PSA levels are high but the patient has no cancer. The cause of the spike in the prostate PSA is due to Benign Prostatic Hypertorphy (BPH) or inflammation of the prostate, which could also enhance the production of PSA.