Most Noticeable Prostate Cancer Test

Prostate cancer  tests  are some tests that conducted at regular intervals to detect  the  disease in its early stages. If the result of screening test is normal, there is no suspected illnesses for prostate cancer.

However,  If screening test for prostate cancer is abnormal, further prostate cancer test is usually required to confirm the suspicion  disease so that the  diagnosis is assured.

Prostate cancer is initially suspected when abnormality was detected in one or two screening of prostate cancer tests.  These tests are finger rectal examination and PSA blood test in order to find related antigen which is prostate specific antigen.

On rectal examination, with a sheathed finger the doctor will palpate the prostate gland into the rectum to detect abnormalities of the gland. Thus, an irregular lumps or hardness on the surface of the gland is a discovery of suspicious for prostate cancer. Therefore, doctors usually recommend prostate cancer test of the rectum, each year in men aged  40 years and older.

PSA test is a simple blood test, which is accurate and can be repeated. This kind of prostate cancer test is use to detect prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)  that released from prostate gland into the blood.

Far more important, the PSA level is usually higher in men with prostate cancer than men without prostate cancer. Therefore it is valuable as a screening for prostate cancer test. Some doctors recommend men aged 50 years and older to undergo PSA prostate test  each year.  It  even recommend to start at younger ages (eg : age 40 years).

The results of the PSA blood test under 4 nanograms per milliliter is generally considered as normal. The results between 4 and 10 be considered as the borderline, then higher than 10 is considered as abnormal, which suspected as prostate cancer. PSA levels tend to increase if the cancer has continued to spread from prostate cancer to another organs  elsewhere. These values are very high, like 30 – 40 and over.