What Does High PSA Levels Indicate?

Prostate cancer has become a leading cause of concern among worldwide population. According to healthcare reports, millions of men fall prey to this fatal disease every year. Prostate cancer in men develops due to unusual multiplication of malignant cells in prostate gland. This condition may result in life-threatening complications and even death if not treated on time.  

What is PSA Test?

Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a specialized blood test which is mostly performed to check the presence of prostate cancer in men. It measures the level of PSA protein to determine whether the patient’s prostate gland is in a healthy condition or not. An elevated level of PSA is usually linked with many dreadful conditions including prostate cancer.

What Happens When One Have A High PSA Level?

Occurrence of prostate cancer in men has doubled up in past few years. High PSA levels could be a warning sign of prostate cancer. PSA level in men should not exceed more than 4.0 ng/mL. It has been observed that changes of more than 2.0 ng/mL usually indicate an underlying prostate cancer.

What May Cause High PSA Levels Besides Prostate Cancer?

Besides prostate cancer, an elevated level of PSA may reveal the following diseases and conditions.

• Sexual Activity - Ejaculation during sexual activity or merely masturbation before a PSA test can slightly increase PSA levels of patients. This is the reason why surgeons advise patients to refrain from any kind of sexual activity before undergoing PSA screening test for prostate cancer. It will help in diagnosing the exact condition of patient.
• Benign Prostate Enlargement (BPE) - Enlargement of prostate is clinically referred to as BPE. This is a non-cancerous condition which is mostly observed in men above 55 years of age. Patients with an enlarged prostate condition may also have high PSA levels.
• Prostatitis - Prostatitis is often described as a condition which develops due to severe inflammation and swelling of prostate gland. Definite cause of prostatitis is still a topic of research but, it is linked with increased level of PSA in men.
• Age - Age factor plays an important role in the production of PSA. Several studies show that PSA levels in men increase as they age.
• Trauma To The Prostate Gland - In some instances, physical trauma to the prostate gland while performing tasks like riding a cycle, prostate biopsy evaluation, or a rectum examination can considerably elevate the level of PSA in men. However, PSA level is increased temporarily and may get normal within a few days.

When Should One Have Their PSA Levels Tested?

Men should get involved in regular health check-ups once they cross 50 years of age. Men with a family history of prostate cancer should get their PSA level tested frequently. Majority of surgeons recommend a PSA screening for the patients in between 50 – 65 years of age to identify prostate cancer. Early detection and prostate cancer treatment can help save many lives.

One should consult a well-qualified and experienced oncologist to understand their current medical status. Many medical reports suggest that men leading an active lifestyle and following a healthy routine diet are at lesser risk of getting prostate cancer.

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Prostate Cancer: Causes & Treatment Options

Prostate gland is located below a man’s bladder & which produces fluid for semen. Prostate cancer is an awful disease that affects only men. Prostate cancer is common in older men. It is rare among men younger than 40 years of age. Prostate cancer begins to grow in a gland called prostate located within the male reproductive organ. Prostate cancer is a slow growing disease. In fact, many of the men who die of old age never come to know that they were ever suffering from the prostate cancer. The doctor comes to know about it only when the autopsy is done.

Causes of Prostate Cancer

Experts state that prostate cancer starts with tiny alterations in the shape and size of prostate gland cells called prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). During early stages of prostate cancer, there are no symptoms depicting its presence. It may randomly be detected during a blood test or routine checkup. The actual cause behind prostate cancer is unknown however there are many possible factors that add to it. Some of these factors are listed below.

• Age: Prostate cancer risk goes up as men get older and are much more common after the age of 50 years.
  
• Race: US African-American men are more likely to get prostate cancer than other men.
  
• Family History: Men with some close family member who has had prostate cancer are more likely to get affected by it themselves.
  
• Genetics: Some inherited genes seem to raise risk of prostate cancer.
  
• Diet: Men who eat a lot of red meat or high-fat dairy product seem to have greater chances of developing prostate cancer.
  
• Medication: Some studies say there might be a link between daily use of anti-inflammatory medicines and prostate cancer.
  
• Obesity: Some studies have found that obese men have greater chance of suffering from advanced prostate cancer and dying because of it.
  
• Sexually Transmitted Disease: Men who have had gonorrhea have higher chance of developing prostate cancer.

Prostate Cancer Treatment

Treatment for prostate cancer is very much dependent on what kind of cancer an individual is having. However, there are some treatment options available to treat prostate cancer depending upon the size and type of cancer. If the cancer is small and localized then available options include the following.

• Surveillance: Carefully observing growth of prostate tumor as they are slow growing and monitored through regular PSA blood levels.
  
• Brachytherapy: Radioactive seeds are implanted in prostate gland & which deliver high radiation doses to the tumor while reducing radiation exposure to the surrounding healthy tissue.
  
• Conformal Radiotherapy: This option allows the treatment team to plan radiotherapy treatment area very precisely in 3D dimensions - width, height and depth.
  
• Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy: Intensity of radiation can be changed during treatment to spare adjoining normal tissue. It is a type of conformal radiotherapy which shapes radiation beam to closely approximate shape of the tumor.
  
• Surgery: Surgery is the most common choice for prostate cancer treatment if it has not spread outside the prostate gland. The most common type of surgery is radical prostatectomy in which the surgeon removes the entire prostate gland.

Although it is hard to understand presence of prostate cancer without proper diagnosis, but when diagnosed there are many options available for treatment. Doctors usually analyze the type of cancer and select the best treatment option available.

ALSO READ: Robotic Prostate Surgery

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