Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA)Test Overview
A prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test measures the amount of
prostate-specific antigen in the blood. PSA is
released into a man's blood by his
prostate gland. Healthy men have low amounts of PSA in
the blood. The amount of PSA in the blood normally increases as a man's
prostate  enlarges with age. PSA may increase as a
result of an injury, a digital rectal exam, sexual activity (ejaculation),
inflammation of the prostate gland (prostatitis),
or
prostate cancer. Prostate cancer often
grows very slowly, without causing major problems. Detecting prostate cancer
early and treating it may prevent some health problems and reduce the risk of
dying from the cancer. However, some treatments for prostate cancer can cause
other problems, such as controlling urination (incontinence)
or erection problems (erectile dysfunction). Some men may
choose not to have a PSA test or treat prostate cancer if it is detected. For
example, a man older than age 75 who has no bothersome symptoms of prostate
cancer may choose not to treat the cancer if it is found, so he would not need
a PSA test.  Should I have a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test to screen for prostate cancer?
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