What is a PSA test?
Last updated September 3, 2026.
A blood test measuring prostate-specific antigen - a protein the prostate makes, normally at low levels. A high PSA can signal prostate cancer, but also benign enlargement or prostatitis, so it starts a follow-up conversation rather than delivering a diagnosis. Because screening trades false alarms against early catches, guidelines frame it as a shared decision with your doctor from about age 50, or earlier with family history or African ancestry.
What to do
- Have the shared-decision talk. Around 50 for most men, earlier with family history or African ancestry.
- Read a high number calmly. BPH and prostatitis elevate PSA too - follow-up testing does the sorting.
- Expect confirmation steps. Repeat PSA, imaging, or biopsy - one number alone decides nothing.
- Trend it over time. A rising PSA across years says more than any single value.
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