Prostatic cancer

One of the most frequent causes of death for men is prostatic cancer at 10% of all cancer-related deaths. Doctors concentrate their efforts on detecting it as early as possible, at the stage where treatment is still effective. Here it is very important to identify prostatic cancer correctly.

It is recommended for men over the age of 50 to have yearly checkups to ensure the health of the prostate, in a urologists office. This checkup includes an ultrasonography, palpation of the prostate, and determination of the PSA level. If one of these examinations gives cause for concern, tissue samples may be obtained.

Can the PSA value be elevated even if there is no evidence of prostatic cancer?
An elevated PSA value does not necessarily show that prostatic cancer is present. Most cases of elevated PSA values turn out not to be indicative of prostatic carcinoma. There are several reasons the PSA value can be elevated without evidence of carcinoma including:

Prostatitis (an infection of the prostate)
Urinary tract infection
Benign hyperplasia of the prostate
Irritation of the prostate from physical or sexual activity