kcon

Hi robvin,

With just this piece of information alone…I would answer that a PSA test result of 10 means that you should set up an appointment with a urologist to look further into what caused this result. The value of 10 is above the normal range.

Without assuming too much or too little in my response, let me note that you have come, today, to a prostate cancer (PC) discussion board site to ask this question, so you are probably aware that the sole purpose that the PSA tests exists is to be an early indicator for PC. In the early stages PC is silent, and there are no symptoms and no early warning signals…that’s why the PSA test was invented. Unfortunately, it is not a perfect PC test, and it there may be other causes for a high PSA result.

The prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is actually an enzyme produced by the prostate tissue and measured in the bloodstream. Cancerous prostate tissue produces PSA at a rate of 20 times faster than healthy tissue. However, other prostate issues may also elevate one’s PSA result.

In men generally considered in the lower-end of the high range (4 to 10), most commonly an infection called prostatitis or another non-cancerous problem called BPH has caused the high reading, and less commonly it is due to PC. (Statistically, only about 25% tested in that PSA range end up with PC.) Furthermore, sexual arousal/activity also results in the natural (temporary) increase in production of PSA. It is generally recommended to abstain from sex for 48 hours prior to a PSA test; if you didn’t do this, you should tell your doctor. In fact, some doctors suggest that even riding a bicycle, scooter or motorcycle will “massage” the prostate and stimulate a higher rate of PSA production (due to the location of the gland, just inside one’s crotch area).

The key is that a high PSA result is a “warning flag” to look into the cause. More information is needed by a urologist to make a clear diagnosis. Any past PSA test results will be valuable and important information to share with a urologist. Your age? Any history of PC in your family? Also, the standard assessment includes a DRE, a digital rectal exam…the finger probe to feel the surface of the prostate. Depending on how things turn out, the doctor might eventually recommend a biopsy, which is the definitive test for PC. PSA test is not a test for PC, it is only a possible early indicator...but if PC is caught early, one has the widest range of possible treatment options and the highest likelihood for complete "cure."

This site has got lots of guys who have been diagnosed with PC and will share their personal experiences, if and when the time comes. I recommend using the high PSA result as a “warning flag” that your further action is needed...take that result to a urologist. Let us know the results of that doctor's visit, and we can help interpret the layman's understanding of that meeting.

best wishes…