What’s your PSA? How fast is it rising? These are just two of the questions guys have to deal with as we age. And for some it gets into the particularly uncomfortable territory when the PSA score is increasing.

As you might know it’s a good idea to start getting the PSA test done once you reach a certain age. You’re looking to see where the amount of prostate-specific antigen in your blood stands. This diagnostic tool is pretty much the gold standard for getting a heads up when it comes to prostate cancer. Yet it’s not without caveats.

One being how PSA tends to vary naturally. It should come as no surprise that the amount of PSA to be found will change from week to week. So you shouldn’t be surprised to find your PSA results may bounce around somewhat.

What causes this? Actually there could be a number of causes that could trigger the PSA change. Most of them completely unrelated to prostate cancer. For example an infection of your prostate gland could be behind the rise. If your test was done during the summer, when PSA readings have been found to be higher, well that could be the cause.

Why does this matter? Two words. PSA Velocity.

PSA Velocity Defined: The rate of increase in your PSA score. The greater the rate of increase the more cause for concern and need to ferret out the reason for it.

This natural variability factor shouldn’t be ignored. Since the PSA velocity along with your PSA score are used to evaluate the status of your prostate. Anything over PSA 4.0 is a red flag. As is a rapidly accelerating score. Either would indicate further tests are called for as they hint at the presence of prostate cancer.

What’s your next step?

Better to ask what not to do. And that would be don’t panic. Like I said there could be many factors in play here. Most of which have nothing to do with prostate cancer. For example simply changing the date of your annual prostate exam to a month that doesn’t fall during summer could change the outcome.

Next thing would be to repeat the test to confirm the results of the first one.

Assuming this second test confirms the first, it’s likely a biopsy would then be scheduled. If it doesn’t then were talking a no harm no foul kind of thing.

Still by and large a single change in your PSA score is no reason to jump to conclusions. Take things a step at a time and don’t get ahead of the results. Follow a course of confirming tests will likely reveal the cause behind the rising PSA.

And for those wishing to find out more about prostate diseases a suggestion – visit ProblemProstate.com. That leading prostate health site can shed light on PSA screening, your gleason score and things to do for good prostate health.


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