Prostate-Specific Ag

PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland that can be measured in a blood test. Higher-than-normal levels may suggest prostate cancer, but they can also be caused by a non-cancerous enlarged prostate, infection, or recent medical procedures. A single PSA result is rarely definitive on its own—your doctor will consider your age, symptoms, family history, and other factors together. If you take certain prostate medications, they can lower your PSA reading, which is important for your doctor to know. Regular monitoring over time is often more informative than any single measurement.

When elevated: Elevated PSA warrants clinical correlation and may indicate prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, acute or chronic prostatitis, or recent prostatic manipulation. Significantly elevated or rapidly rising PSA values increase the pre-test probability of prostate cancer and typically prompt urologic evaluation including possible prostate biopsy. When low: Low or undetectable PSA levels following radical prostatectomy are expected and indicate absence of residual or recurrent prostate tissue. In untreated men, a low PSA is generally reassuring but does not entirely exclude low-volume or poorly differentiated (low PSA-producing) prostate cancer. Certain medications such as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors (finasteride, dutasteride) artificially suppress PSA levels by approximately 50%.

PSA is not an athlete-specific marker; it reflects prostate health status rather than training adaptation or performance. For physically active men, PSA screening follows standard population guidelines based on age and risk factors, independent of exercise habits or athletic status.