Today we will be discussing prostate health with Dianne Lemmon, R.N., R.N.C. Urology. Currently, she is affiliated with Oregon Health Sciences University. It's a pleasure to be here. PSA is used as a tumor marker in patients who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Some people think of it as a screening tool, though that is highly controversial.
It is prostate specific, but is not cancer specific. So, it can be elevated for reasons other that prostate cancer, such as prostatitis, benign enlargement of the gland. The normal level is considered to be less than 4. There are age adjusted charts. I cannot say that some are more reliable than others.