Medically Reviewed by Kelly Maloney, MD

Phil’s primary care physician took blood tests during his annual physical. When the results were in, the physician told him he had an elevated PSA. “Does that mean prostate cancer?” thought Phil.
Here are some facts about “elevated PSA.”

“About the size of a walnut, the prostate is part of the male reproductive system, whose main job is generating fluid for the sperm produced by a man’s testicles,” says McLeod Urologist Dr. Kelley Maloney. “Normally, a healthy prostate produces only small amounts of PSA – prostate specific antigen. An elevated PSA can point to developing cancer, but also can be triggered by other causes that are not cancer.”

NON-CANCEROUS CAUSES
Only about 30% of men with elevated PSA will end with a prostate cancer diagnosis.  Here are a number of non-camcerous causes of elevated PSA:

Aging. As a man ages, the “normal” level of PSA rises. A man in his 70s can be “normal” with 3 times the PSA as a man in his 40s.

Urinary Tract Infection. PSA Levels can rise from an infection in the urethra or bladder but cannot be diagnosed with a blood test.

Size of Prostate. A larger prostate may produce higher levels of PSA.

BPH. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia shows up commonly in men over the age of 50. Despite creating symptoms similar to cancer,  BPH does not represent an increased cancer risk.

Prostatitis. An inflammation of the prostate – sometimes due to a bacterial infection and potentially a chronic problem – can generate test results showing elevated PSA.

Too Much. Too much vigorous exercise or too much energetic intimacy the day or two before a PSA test could result in elevated levels.

ACTION YOU CAN TAKE
Don’t live with the doubts. If a blood test shows elevated PSA, ask your primary care physician to refer you to a urologist. Also, some urologists do not require a referral, allowing you to make an appointment directly with their office.

Find a Urologist near you.

Sources include: McLeod Health, Prostate Cancer Foundation, National Institutes of Health, American Urological Association