PSA Blood Tests: What Men Should Know Before Booking

PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by the prostate gland. A PSA blood test measures the level of PSA in your blood, usually reported in nanograms per millilitre (ng/mL).

Higher levels may indicate a change affecting the prostate, but the test cannot determine the cause or diagnose prostate cancer on its own.

You may wish to consider PSA testing if you have symptoms affecting urination, such as:

• Needing to urinate more frequently
• Difficulty starting to urinate
• A weak or interrupted flow
• Feeling that your bladder has not fully emptied
• Blood in your urine or semen

These symptoms do not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer, but they should be discussed with a healthcare professional.

Prostate cancer mainly affects men aged 50 and over. Black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer may be at increased risk from the age of 45. Having one or more risk factors does not mean that you will develop prostate cancer, but you may wish to discuss the potential benefits and limitations of PSA testing with a healthcare professional.

Certain activities and health conditions can temporarily increase your PSA level and affect the accuracy of your result. For 48 hours before your test, you should avoid:

• Ejaculation
• Anal sex
• Vigorous exercise
• Cycling

If you have a urinary infection, you will usually need to wait four to six weeks after the infection has cleared before having the test. You should also tell your healthcare professional about any medicines you take or recent procedures involving your bladder or prostate.

A raised PSA level does not necessarily mean that you have prostate cancer. It can also be linked to non-cancerous conditions, including an enlarged prostate, prostate inflammation or a urinary infection.

Your result will be considered alongside factors such as your age, symptoms, medical history and any previous PSA results.

Depending on your result and individual circumstances, no immediate action may be required, or you may be advised to have further assessment. This could include another blood test, a urine test, an examination, an MRI scan or referral to a specialist.

A PSA test can help identify changes affecting the prostate, but it cannot confirm whether prostate cancer is present. Some people may have a raised PSA level without having cancer, which can lead to further tests and unnecessary worry.

In other cases, PSA levels may remain within the expected range even when prostate cancer is present. The test may also detect slow-growing cancers that would never have caused symptoms or affected a person's health.

For these reasons, the benefits and limitations of PSA testing should be considered carefully with a healthcare professional before deciding whether the test is appropriate for you.