Where is psa found

If your initial PSA test was ordered by your primary care provider, you may be referred to a urologist a doctor who treats cancers of the genital and urinary tract, which includes the prostate gland for this discussion or for further testing. For higher PSA levels, doctors are more likely to recommend getting other tests, or going straight to a prostate biopsy. If the initial PSA result is abnormal, another option might be to get another type of test or tests to help you and your doctor get a better idea if you might have prostate cancer and therefore need a biopsy.

However, many other conditions, such as an enlarged or inflamed prostate, also can increase PSA levels. Therefore, determining what a high PSA score means can be complicated. There is a lot of conflicting advice about PSA testing. To decide whether to have a PSA test, discuss the issue with your doctor, considering your risk factors and weighing your personal preferences. Prostate cancer is common, and it is a frequent cause of cancer death. Early detection may be an important tool in getting appropriate and timely treatment.

Prostate cancer can cause elevated levels of PSA. However, many noncancerous conditions also can increase the PSA level. The PSA test can detect high levels of PSA in the blood but doesn't provide precise diagnostic information about the condition of the prostate.

The PSA test is only one tool used to screen for early signs of prostate cancer. Another common screening test, usually done in addition to a PSA test, is a digital rectal exam. In this test, your doctor inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into your rectum to reach the prostate.

By feeling or pressing on the prostate, the doctor may be able to judge whether it has abnormal lumps or hard areas. Neither the PSA test nor the digital rectal exam provides enough information for your doctor to diagnose prostate cancer. Abnormal results in these tests may lead your doctor to recommend a prostate biopsy.

During a prostate biopsy, samples of prostate tissue are removed for laboratory examination. A diagnosis of cancer is based on the biopsy results. For those who have already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the PSA test may be used to:. Medical organizations vary in their recommendations about who should — and who shouldn't — get a PSA screening test.

When total prostate-specific antigen PSA concentration is below 2. When total PSA concentration is above The total PSA range of 4. Therefore, some urologists recommend using the free PSA:total ratio to help select which men should undergo biopsy.

However, even a negative result of prostate biopsy does not rule-out prostate cancer. Based on free PSA:total PSA ratio: the percent probability of finding prostate cancer on a needle biopsy by age in years:. Values obtained with different assay methods or kits may be different and cannot be used interchangeably.

Tumor markers are not specific for malignancy. Test results cannot be interpreted as absolute evidence for the presence or absence of malignant disease. The breast is a major female organ able to produce PSA. PSA is detected in both normal and abnormal breast tissues, as well as in various breast fluids including milk, nipple aspirate, and cyst fluid. Androgens and progesterones, via their receptors, regulate the production of PSA in breast tissue.

Clinical studies demonstrate that PSA in breast cancer is associated with the expression of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor.