What does the PSA test tell me about my prostate?

A raised PSA level can be a sign that you have prostate cancer. The PSA level is often raised well before any symptoms of prostate cancer develop. So the test can help to detect early prostate cancers (which may have a better chance of being successfully treated than more advanced prostate cancers.) As a rule, the higher the PSA level, the more likely that you have prostate cancer.

However, a raised PSA level can also occur in other prostate conditions such as some cases of benign enlargement of the prostate and inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis). In particular, a PSA level that is mildly or moderately raised has a good chance of being due to a benign condition, but could be due to prostate cancer. Overall, about 2 in 3 men with a raised PSA level do not have prostate cancer.

Also, if you do have prostate cancer, a single PSA test cannot tell you whether a prostate cancer is slow or fast growing.

And also, in some cases, the PSA level may be normal even when there is cancer there. Up to 1 in 5 men with prostate cancer have a normal PSA level.

So, the PSA test is not an accurate test for prostate cancer.