What happens during the test?
Blood is collected into one or more small vials labeled with your information.
The technician should wear fresh latex gloves and use a new, single-use needle for each procedure.
A technician or nurse wraps a wide elastic band around your upper arm to help locate the vein. Once the vein is located, usually on the inside of your elbow, the area is disinfected using alcohol swabs. The technician inserts a needle into a vein and pushes a vial onto the needle to collect the blood. The elastic band is removed and after the blood is collected, the needle removed and discarded. You will have to hold a small piece of cotton over the area until bleeding stops. A small bandage will be applied to hold the cotton in place.
The test is almost painless for most people, although you may feel a slight pinch when the needle is inserted. The vials of blood are then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
How should I prepare for this test?
Before having a PSA test, you need to avoid sex and sexual activity for two to three days. Waiting until certain infections go away is also important (e.g., urinary tract or prostate infections). Some doctors will recommend that you wait for a week after having an examination of the prostate before having your PSA level measured.
If you have had a cytoscopy recently, it is recommended that you wait a few weeks before doing a PSA test to get the best results.
Tell your doctor or prescriber about all prescription, over-the-counter (non-prescription), and herbal medications that you are taking. Also tell them about any medication allergies and medical conditions that you may have.
Ask your doctor or pharmacist whether you need to stop taking any of your medications before the test.
What can I expect after the test?
Some people experience slight bruising or tenderness at the site where the needle enters the vein. Keeping pressure on the area after the needle is removed helps prevent bruising.
Results
Normal values for the PSA test depend on what the laboratory and doctor consider normal. Some doctors use age-specific ranges to compare results while others use the same range for all men regardless of age. The units of measurement are nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
A high PSA level may be a sign of prostate cancer. However, your PSA level may also be high due to other conditions of the prostate gland including inflammation of the prostate (prostatitis) or enlargement of the prostate (a non-cancerous condition). Other tests such as a biopsy (taking a tissue sample from the prostate with a needle) are needed to confirm whether you really do have prostate cancer.
If the PSA level has been tested several years in a row, an increase might be considered important, even if the level is not very high, particularly for men at high risk.
Men who have had treatment for prostate cancer sometimes have their PSA level checked regularly. An increase could be an early sign that the cancer is coming back.