Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is below 4.0 ng/ml. This is generally a reassuring result, and your risk of having prostate cancer is low.

However, your PSA level is slightly higher than expected for someone less than age 50. Speak with your doctor about the following options

• referral to a urologist (prostate specialist)
• repeat testing in 3-6 months to make sure that your PSA level is not rising

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is in the normal range. This is a reassuring result. You have a low risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer within the next few years.

Consider having your test repeated in one to two years.

You have reached the end of this guide. What would you like to do?

• Go back to the beginning of this guide.
• Learn more about PSA testing.
• Learn more about prostate cancer.

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is very low. This is a reassuring result. You have a very low risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer within the next few years.

Recent research suggests that it’s probably safe to wait two years before having your PSA checked again.

You have reached the end of this guide. What would you like to do?

• Go back to the beginning of this guide.
• Learn more about PSA testing.
• Learn more about prostate cancer.

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is in the normal range. This is a reassuring result.

Consider having your test repeated in one to two years.

You have reached the end of this guide. What would you like to do?

• Go back to the beginning of this guide.
• Learn more about PSA testing.
• Learn more about prostate cancer.

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is above four ng/ml. In younger men, this is usually considered to be a worrisome level. However, your PSA level may be normal for someone in your age group.

Speak with your doctor about options for follow-up, including

• referral to a urologist (prostate specialist)

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is in the normal range. This is a reassuring result.

Given your age or medical history, many doctors would question whether it makes sense to have your PSA tested regularly. This is because prostate cancer is often a slow-growing disease, especially in older men. Even if prostate cancer is detected, the risks of side effects from treatment may be greater than any potential benefits.

Speak with your doctor about whether it makes sense to continue being screened for prostate cancer on a regular basis.

Understanding PSA

Your PSA level is above the normal range. However, given your age or medical history, further evaluation may or may not be worthwhile. Speak with your doctor about appropriate follow-up.

Your options include

• a “watch and wait approach” with repeat testing in several months
• referral to a urologist (prostate specialist)

You have reached the end of this guide. What would you like to do?

• Go back to the beginning of this guide.

Understanding PSA

Next, we need to know your most recent PSA test result. Usually this is a number between 1.0 and 10.0 (PSA is measured in nanograms per milliliter, or ng/ml).

What was your most recent PSA level?

• Less than 1.0
• 1.0 to 3.99
• 4.0 to 6.49
• 6.5 to 9.99
• 10 or higher

Understanding PSA

Most doctors recommend waiting until age 50 to start PSA testing. That’s because prostate cancer is uncommon before this age. However, PSA levels are sometimes checked in men younger than age 50 because they have a risk factor for prostate cancer, such as having a close family member with the disease or being African-American (African American men are more likely than other men to develop prostate cancer and can develop an aggressive form of the disease at a young age).

Understanding PSA – Introduction

Welcome to this Decision Guide about PSA testing.

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a blood test used by many doctors to screen for prostate cancer. If you’ve had your PSA level checked, you may have been told that your results were “normal” or “abnormal.” However, some men would like to know more about what their PSA level means.

This tool provides more information about PSA levels, and what’s considered to be reassuring or worrisome for men of different ages.