What is prostate specific antigen?
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is an enzyme made by the prostate gland. The prostate gland is a doughnut-shaped gland located in the small space between the base of the penis and the bladder. The prostate makes the fluid that nourishes sperm and carries sperm during ejaculation. PSA is found in a man’s blood and can be measured with a simple blood test. The prostate usually makes more PSA if you have prostate cancer. Checking the amount of PSA made by the prostate gland can help find prostate cancer very early. A PSA test is also a way to check how well treatment of prostate cancer is working. The risk of prostate cancer gets higher with age. It has become the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men in the US. It is the second leading cause of cancer deaths of men in the US. The prostate cancer death rate is especially high among African American men.
