What is PSA? and why is it important for Prostate, Pros...

What is a PSA test? Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by both cancerous (malignant) and noncancerous (benign) prostate tissue. PSA helps liquefy the semen. A small amount enters the bloodstream. Cancer cells usually make more PSA than do benign cells, causing PSA levels in your blood to rise. However, determining what a high PSA score means can be complicated. Besides the PSA number itself, your doctor will consider a number of other factors to evaluate your PSA scores: Your age The size of your prostate gland How quickly your PSA levels are changing Whether you're taking medications that affect PSA measurements, such as finasteride (Propecia, Proscar), dutasteride (Avodart) and even some herbal supplements