What does an elevated PSA mean?

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What does an elevated PSA mean?

An elevated PSA can mean a number of underlying conditions. Many people often associate an elevated PSA with prostate cancer, but that is not always the case. While prostate cancer is very common among older men, there are other conditions that may be affecting the prostate that could be the reason for developing an elevated PSA. The PSA elevates in the blood as a result of the prostate cells or gland being disrupted in some way. A “normal” PSA level is generally between 1.0 and 4.0 ng/mL.

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Exploring Cyberknife for Prostate Cancer

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Exploring Cyberknife for Prostate Cancer

Cyberknife is an alternative option to treat prostate cancer, as well as many other cancers such as lung, brain, spine, liver and pancreatic cancer. It is not a surgical procedure, but a form of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and robotic-assisted radiosurgery that utilizes a computerized robot to automatically deliver high doses of radiation to the prostate gland. For men with prostate cancer, Cyberknife is recommended for men with cancer limited to the prostate, and men with low to moderate risk prostate cancer. 

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How is Prostate Cancer Treated?

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How is Prostate Cancer Treated?

Active Surveillance/Watchful Waiting. These are not types of treatment, but ways to monitor prostate cancer when it is very low-risk or slow growing. During active surveillance or watchful waiting, your doctor will keep track of the prostate cancer using various tests including a PSA blood test, digital rectal exam, and ultrasound. If the prostate cancer becomes more aggressive, your doctor may recommend other treatment options.

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Treatment options for high PSA

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Treatment options for high PSA

Treatment for a high, or elevated PSA depends on the underlying condition that is causing the PSA to elevate. There are a number of conditions that can cause the PSA to elevate. If you have a high PSA as a result of prostatitis, treatment includes a course of antibiotics. Prostatitis also means a prostate infection, which causes inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis is the most common prostate condition in men younger than 50.  

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Why Do Men Get BPH?

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Why Do Men Get BPH?

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (aka BPH, benign prostatic hypertrophy, or an enlarged prostate) is a condition that most often affects older men. As men get older, the prostate gland naturally becomes enlarged. This can put pressure on the bladder and urethra, causing problems with urination. Over 50 percent of men in their 60s and up to 90 percent of men in their 70s and 80s have some symptoms of an enlarged prostate.

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Causes of a High PSA

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Causes of a High PSA

A “normal” PSA level is generally between 1.0 and 4.0 ng/mL. Anything above 4.0ng/mL is considered “abnormal” or elevated. The PSA level may differ depending on a man’s age. As men age, the prostate gets larger. A larger prostate produces more PSA. Therefore, younger men generally have lower PSA levels while older men tend to have higher PSA levels. These variations in PSA levels are not always associated with a prostate condition, other than an enlarged prostate. The PSA level may also vary depending on the man’s ethnicity or if they have a family history of prostate cancer.

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Treatment for Elevated PSA

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Treatment for Elevated PSA

A man may have an elevated PSA for a number of reasons. An elevated PSA is a result of the prostate cells or gland being disrupted in some way. The treatment for having an elevated PSA will depend on what is causing the PSA to rise. Let’s take a look as the most common causes of an elevated PSA: Prostatitis. Prostatitis also means a prostate infection, which causes inflammation of the prostate gland. Prostatitis is the most common prostate condition in men younger than 50. It can usually be treated with antibiotics.

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Treatment for BPH

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Treatment for BPH

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) is a condition that occurs in men usually over 50 years old and is characterized by an enlarged prostate. As men age, it is natural for the prostate to become enlarge. BPH is a noncancerous growth of the cells within the prostate gland. By age 60, more than half of men have BPH. By age 85, about 90 percent of men have BPH, but only about 30 percent will have symptoms.

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What is Percent-Free PSA?

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What is Percent-Free PSA?

Prostate cancer effects millions of men each year, whether newly diagnosed or living with prostate cancer. Despite the amount of lives this cancer affects, the tools for diagnosis fall short.  For this reason it is important to use the tools that we do have to their fullest capacity.  The percent free PSA, for instance.

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Prostate cancer: Cyberknife vs. Robotic surgery

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Prostate cancer: Cyberknife vs. Robotic surgery

What is Cyberknife? Cyberknife is a form of stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) and robotic-assisted radiosurgery (not actual surgery) that utilizes a computerized robot to automatically deliver high doses of radiation to the prostate gland. Fiducials are implanted into the body so that the Cyberknife machine can adjust to movement during each treatment. 

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Prostate Cancer Basics

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Prostate Cancer Basics

According to the National Cancer Institute, prostate cancer is the second most common form of cancer affecting men in the United States.  This translates to about 1 in every 7 men in America.  That means you or someone you know has probably dealt with prostate cancer.  There are more than 2.9 million men living with prostate cancer in America, and more than 60 percent of men diagnosed with prostate cancer each year are over the age of 65.

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Staging of prostate cancer

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Staging of prostate cancer

The staging of prostate cancer is one of the most important factors when determining the best treatment option for a man with prostate cancer. The stage of prostate cancer is determined based the results of the prostate biopsy, the Gleason score, the PSA level, and any other special tests that may have been done to find out information about the cancer, such as the PHI test, the PCA3 test, or the 4K Score test.

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