PSA level increased? Is it prostate cancer?
Every man has a prostate. This can sooner or later give rise to complaints. An indication of prostate complaints can be an elevated PSA value. But what is a PSA value and what does the result of an elevated PSA value actually mean? Five questions about the PSA value plus the answers from urologist Dr. LMO de Kort of the UMC Utrecht.
1. What is a PSA level and what does an elevated PSA level mean?
“PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. It is a protein that is made exclusively by prostate cells. The PSA value is the concentration of PSA in the blood. The level of the PSA increases with age and with the size of the prostate. the normal value is therefore not an absolute limit.”
2. Can you also have an elevated PSA value and still have no complaints?
“An increased PSA can be associated with an enlarged prostate, with prostate inflammation (prostatitis) or with prostate cancer. Sometimes no cause is found for an increased value. An enlarged prostate can cause urinary symptoms, but this does not have to be. Prostate cancer, especially in the initial stage does not give rise to complaints.”
3) Does the prostate become larger in all men at a later age and does this always lead to prostate complaints?
“In most men, the prostate gets bigger in the course of life, but not always. An enlarged prostate can cause urinary complaints, but not always. A relatively small prostate can also get in the way and cause complaints. So there is no direct relationship between prostate volume and urinary symptoms.”
4) How can you prevent prostate complaints?
“Prostate complaints cannot really be prevented. There are indications that overweight men are more likely to have prostate enlargement. There are also indications that certain foods, such as tomato ketchup, red wine, green tea and soy products, have a somewhat protective effect against prostate cancer.”
5) For women, there are population screenings for breast and cervical cancer. Wouldn’t it make sense to introduce a population screening for prostate cancer?
“There is much to be said about the usefulness of prostate cancer screening. A large European study has shown that screening for prostate cancer can prevent a number of ‘prostatic cancer deaths’. A lot of people need to be screened for this. In addition, prostate cancer will be detected in a number of men. that actually does not require treatment. This can lead to unnecessary psychological burden and medical costs. The discussion is not yet closed!”
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