PSA blood test
Prostate-specific antigen
In short
A typical adult PSA result is under 4 ng/mL (often adjusted for age). A PSA a little above the range is common with age, and most often comes from something other than cancer. The size of the rise, the trend over time and a repeat test matter most. Always read your result against the range printed on your own report.
A protein made by the prostate, a small gland below the bladder.
Some PSA leaks into the blood, and the amount tends to rise slowly with age. Doctors use it to look for prostate problems, from a common enlarged prostate to cancer. No single number cleanly separates prostate cancer from other causes, so age and the trend over time matter.
Is my PSA high or low?
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Typical range
| For | Range | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Adults · often adjusted for age | under 4 | ng/mL |
Typical ranges for adults. Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
If your PSA is high
A PSA a little above the range is common with age, and most often comes from something other than cancer. The size of the rise, the trend over time and a repeat test matter most.
Common reasons
- An enlarged prostate, which is very common with age
- Prostatitis, an infection or inflammation of the prostate, or a urine infection
- Ejaculation in the day or two before the test
- A long bike ride in the days before, in some men
- A recent prostate exam, biopsy (tissue sample) or tube to drain urine
- Male hormone treatment
- Less often: prostate cancer
What can throw it off
Recent ejaculation, cycling or a prostate exam can raise PSA, and some prostate and hair-loss medicines roughly halve it.
Questions to take to your appointment
- 1Could something in the days before the test have raised it?
- 2How does this compare with my earlier results?
- 3Would a free PSA or another test help decide what's next?
Read together with
Doctors rarely read PSA alone. These usually sit next to it.
Quick answers
What is the PSA blood test?
PSA (Prostate-specific antigen): A protein made by the prostate, a small gland below the bladder. Some PSA leaks into the blood, and the amount tends to rise slowly with age. Doctors use it to look for prostate problems, from a common enlarged prostate to cancer. No single number cleanly separates prostate cancer from other causes, so age and the trend over time matter.
What is a normal PSA level?
For most adults, PSA is typically under 4 ng/mL (often adjusted for age). Labs differ a little, so the range printed next to your result is the one to go by.
What does a high PSA mean?
A PSA a little above the range is common with age, and most often comes from something other than cancer. The size of the rise, the trend over time and a repeat test matter most. Common reasons include an enlarged prostate, which is very common with age; prostatitis, an infection or inflammation of the prostate, or a urine infection; ejaculation in the day or two before the test; and a long bike ride in the days before, in some men. A doctor reads it together with your other results and how you feel.
What can affect my PSA result?
Recent ejaculation, cycling or a prostate exam can raise PSA, and some prostate and hair-loss medicines roughly halve it.
What should I ask my doctor about my PSA?
Questions worth taking to the appointment: Could something in the days before the test have raised it? How does this compare with my earlier results? Would a free PSA or another test help decide what's next?
What this page can’t do
It reads each number on its own.
Doctors read results together — ALT with AST, ferritin with hemoglobin, TSH with free T4. A pattern says more than any single flag.
It doesn't know you.
Your age, your medicines, how you feel and your last result all change what a number means.
It doesn't remember.
Close this page and your results are gone. That's on purpose: nothing was ever sent to us.
We also make Vita: Health Coach, an app for those parts. It reads your whole report with your medicines and history in mind, answers follow-up questions in plain words, and keeps your reports in one place — for you and for the people you look after.
Vita: Health Coach on the App StoreSources
- National Cancer Institute — PSA test fact sheet
- American Cancer Society — Screening tests for prostate cancer
- MedlinePlus — Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test
Stuck on a word? See the medical words. How we choose our sources. More about Vita Health Coach.