what is a psa blood test

A PSA blood test is a screening tool used to detect prostate cancer. PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen, which is a protein produced by both cancerous and noncancerous tissue in the prostate gland. During the test, a nurse or medical technician will use a needle to draw blood from a vein, most likely in your arm. The blood sample is then analyzed in the lab to measure your PSA level, which is reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood (ng/mL). There is no specific cutoff point between a normal and an abnormal PSA level, and a high PSA level may be caused by prostate cancer or other prostate conditions that are not cancer. Therefore, the PSA test is only one tool used to screen for early signs of prostate cancer, and another common screening test, usually done in addition to a PSA test, is a digital rectal exam