PROSTATIC SPECIFIC ANTIGEN ( PSA)

Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) is a protein generated by both normal and malignant cells in the prostate gland, acting as a pivotal indicator of prostate health. The PSA test, a diagnostic tool assessing PSA levels in the bloodstream, involves submitting a blood sample for laboratory analysis, with results typically reported in nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/mL) of blood. Elevated PSA levels frequently signal the potential presence of prostate cancer, prompting the FDA’s initial 1986 approval of the PSA test for monitoring cancer progression in previously diagnosed individuals. Subsequent to this, in 1994, the FDA expanded approval for the PSA test to be employed alongside a digital rectal exam (DRE) to improve prostate cancer detection, especially in men aged 50 and above. Until approximately 2008, the medical community, including Hypro Diagnostics, often recommended annual PSA screening from age 50 onward as an integral component of proactive prostate cancer detection.