Prostate-Specific Antigen - PSA Results

During a prostate cancer biopsy, a sample of tissue is removed in order to perform testing to check for the presence of cancer. During a biopsy, a transrectal ultrasound is used to guide the needle or needles to remove six or more samples from different parts of the prostate. Some physicians may take 12 tissue samples to be sure that no cancerous tissue is missed. PSA test results report the level of PSA detected in the blood. The test results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA values below 4.0 ng/ml as normal. However, recent research found prostate cancer in men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/ml (2). Many doctors are now using the following ranges, with some variation:

0 to 2.5 ng/ml is low
2.6 to 10ng/ml is slightly to moderately elevated
10 to 19.9 ng/ml is moderatley elevated
20 ng/ml or more is signficantly elevated

There is no specific normal or abnormal PSA level. However, the higher a man's PSA level, the more likely it is that cancer is present. But because various factors can cause PSA levels to fluctuate, one abnormal PSA test does not necessarily indicate a need for other diagnostic tests. When PSA levels continue to rise over time, other tests may be needed.