What does it mean to have an elevated PSA?

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein that is made by the prostate and present in your blood. Your primary care physician or urologist may perform a PSA test as a routine part of your preventative health care regime. Abnormal levels can indicate a health problem, such as prostate cancer.

If elevated PSA levels are detected during a blood test, your urologist may recommend further prostate cancer screening tests to determine if cancer could be the cause. It is important to note that elevated PSA levels do not necessarily mean that cancer is present, and normal PSA levels do not mean that no cancer exists. It is one tool in the cancer screening process that your urologist can use to detect the disease in early stages when cancer treatment is most effective.

Your urologist at Urology Associates, P.C. will review all of your lab results with you, so you understand what things like elevated PSA levels mean for your overall health. To schedule an appointment for prostate cancer screenings in Nashville, please call 888-245-0702.