| During the process of diagnosing prostate cancer, | | | | Because there is concern about the accuracy of |
| there actually are a lot of procedures and tests | | | | the PSA test, you may have to sit through the |
| that are carried out, and although the PSA test is | | | | confirmation process of a biopsy of your prostate |
| not the most definitive, it is without doubt one of | | | | and the examination of the tissue sample so |
| the most popular and well known, and certainly | | | | gotten under a microscope. Never had one of |
| one of the first that are carried out. | | | | those tests myself, but I saw it on House MD, |
| Most men have PSA levels lower than 4.0 | | | | and it did not seem too bad, especially if they |
| nanograms per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood, and that | | | | were using a local anesthetic. |
| level is considered normal. Therefore if you are | | | | Further tests may be carried out even after this |
| looking at figures like 34 ng/ml PSA level in your | | | | to determine how much the prostate cancer cells |
| blood, then that is very critical. This higher level | | | | have spread or metastasized. In this regard, the |
| however does not necessarily indicate the | | | | PSA test is no longer in need - they concentrate |
| presence of cancer because there are a lot of | | | | on CT scans and bone scans. The potential |
| other infections and actually certain drugs that can | | | | non-invasive method of early prostate tumor |
| also elevate the PSA levels in your blood. As a | | | | detection known as the PCA3 mRNA test may |
| result, a lot of other tests will likely also be carried | | | | help confirm the results of the PSA test before |
| out. | | | | you get to this stage in several instances. |