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Information
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PSA - Prostate Screen Test
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What is PSA?
PSA stands for Prostate Specific Antigen. Though the PSA test alone does not confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer, the test does serve as a prostate tumor marker by measuring the level of a specific protein circulating in the blood. The PSA test tumor marker can provide important information for your health care professional to use in detecting and/or monitoring progression of prostate cancer. Not all elevated PSA test results are indicative of the presence of prostate cancer. Normal PSA levels can vary with age, and some males may still have prostate cancer even with normal PSA test levels.
Why test your PSA level?
The PSA is performed as a screening test for prostate cancer or to monitor progression of prostate cancer in males. The PSA can also detect elevated PSA levels in approximately 20% of males who experience benign prostatic hypertrophy, also known as BPH, or enlarged prostate.
Who should take a PSA test?
The American Cancer Society and the American Urological Association recommend starting PSA screenings for all African American men and all males who have a father or brother with prostate cancer at the age of 40. All other males should have a PSA screening test done for prostate cancer beginning at the age of 50 and yearly thereafter. All males under treatment for prostate cancer may be recommended by their health care professional to undergo a PSA test more frequently than yearly.
Persistant signs and symptoms for all males which warrant taking a PSA test include: difficulty with urination, problems maintaining a good urinary stream, frequent or urgent needs to urinate, even non-specific symptoms that include blood in the urine or recurrent urinary tract infections. More serious indications for taking the PSA test include: bone pain, lower exremity swelling, back pain, spinal cord compression, pathologic bone fractures and abdominal swelling. These signs and symptoms may suggest the presence of advanced prostate cancer.
What is the PSA testing procedure?
The specimen collection process is quick, easy and virtually painless. Using the special lancet (included in the Biosafe Blood Collection Kit), a couple of drops of blood are taken from a nick of a finger and deposited into a special collection card. The card is then sent to Biosafe Laboratories for analysis. Biosafe tests your blood sample to see how much PSA is present and then mails the results back to you in an easy-to-read, understandable report.
Since the Biosafe Prostate Screen produces a numerical result rather than a simple "yes" or "no" answer, both the testing approval and professional review of test results are required by a licensed physician. Biosafe has developed a nationwide network of medical doctors for this purpose.
Why use the Biosafe PSA Test Kit?
Biosafe is one of the leaders in medical diagnostic test kits for at home or in office use. Each of Biosafe's test kits has been FDA approved and all tests are processed at the Biosafe CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) approved laboratory to insure the accuracy of the results. Biosafe has designed each of its test kits so that they are easy enough to be self administered, thus allowing you to use the test kit in the privacy of your home or office. Simply take a test sample, mail the sample to the Biosafe laboratory (pre-paid return mailer included with kit), and within 72 hours of receiving your sample, Biosafe will contact you with your results.
NOTE: A PSA test is only part of your overall health maintenance program and should be done once each year along with your annual physical.
NOTE: PSA Test should not be taken by men who have had their prostate gland removed!
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