Elevated PSA Levels

Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein that is produced by the prostate gland. It is found in ejaculate, and is also present in the bloodstream in very small amounts. When the prostate is injured or diseased, elevated PSA levels occur.

PSA is measured through a simple blood test. This test is a screening tool for prostate cancer detection. Since the mid-1990s, the PSA test has been used in conjunction with a digital rectal exam (DRE) to screen men over age 50 for prostate cancer.

However, in 2012, the U.S. Preventive Task Force (USPTF) issued a recommendation against routine, universal PSA screening for prostate cancer. One of the primary reasons was that many men with non-cancerous reasons for elevated PSA levels end up undergoing unneeded biopsies to check for cancer, biopsies that carry a very real risk of urinary and sexual side effects. Men are more likely to have elevated PSA levels related to benign conditions such as injury, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and prostatitis than they are to have prostate cancer.  

But PSA testing is still an important tool for early detection of prostate cancer, especially in men with an increased risk for the disease due to family history or other factors. Every man should talk to his doctor about the need for regular PSA testing, based on his individual lifestyle and health history, and using advanced imaging tools when appropriate.

If you have elevated PSA levels, you do have options other than biopsy to rule out a prostate cancer. A skilled radiologist can take a detailed picture of the prostate with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging, or mpMRI. mpMRI has the advantage of accurately imaging the entire prostate. It can pinpoint any suspicious tumor tissue – or rule out a prostate cancer completely. Then if a biopsy is needed, it can be performed with an accurate “map” of the area.

The Sperling Prostate Center offers men mpMRI diagnostic imaging of the prostate. Our state of the art facility is equipped with the latest mpMRI software, a 3 Tesla (3T) magnet, and a radiologist who leads the field in prostate mpMRI.  Fill out our consultation form to get more information.