What it means
Both normal and cancerous prostate cells make it. The level can rise with prostate cancerPROS-tayt KAN-serCancer that starts in the prostate, the gland below the bladder in males that helps make semen.Full entry but also with an enlarged prostate (benign prostatic hyperplasiabee-NINE proh-STAT-ik hy-per-PLAY-zhuhA prostate gland that has grown larger than normal, from growth that is not cancer.hyper- more than normalplas growth or formation-ia conditionFull entry ), infection or inflammation of the prostate, and recent ejaculation. A high result usually leads to repeat testing or a biopsy rather than a diagnosis on its own. After prostate cancer treatment, it is used to watch for a return.
For the nurse
Screening is a personal decision that men aged about 55 to 69 make with their provider. Draw the sample before a prostate exam or procedure if possible, and teach the client to avoid ejaculation for a day or two before the test if the provider advises it.
At a glance
| Normal range | Generally below 4 ng/mL [below 4 µg/L]; the expected level rises with age, and labs and providers use different cutoffs. |
|---|---|
| Also written | prostate specific antigen |
Related terms
benign prostatic hyperplasia
A prostate gland that has grown larger than normal, from growth that is not cancer.
prostate
A walnut-sized gland below the bladder in males that surrounds the urethra and makes part of the fluid in semen.
prostate cancer
Cancer that starts in the prostate, the gland below the bladder in males that helps make semen.