Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA)

Code:
PSA

Sample Type:

Serum (Gold Top)

Minimum volume: 1 mL

Ref Ranges/Units:

Age-related reference ranges (agreed with Northern Cancer Network 2017). 

Aged <50 years <2.5 μg/L 
aged 50−59 years <3.0 μg/L 
aged 60−69 years <4.0 μg/L 
aged >70 years <6.5 μg/L 
Aged >80 years <20 μg/L 

Turnaround:

Same Day

Stability:

24 hours at 20-25°C 
5 days at 2-8°C 
24 weeks at –20°C 
May be frozen 3 times 

Special Precautions/Comments:

Additional Information:

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a tumour marker associated with prostate cancer. PSA is used in the investigation of prostate cancer and in monitoring treatment. PSA is measured post-prostatectomy to check for residual tissue and recurrence. 

PSA can also be raised in other benign conditions such as benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), urinary tract infection (UTI), urine retention and acute/chronic prostatitis. PSA can also be elevated following ejaculation, exercise and catheterisation. It should therefore be interpreted with caution in the clinical context. 

In the laboratory, total PSA (free and complexed) is measured. Caution should be taken when comparing PSA results from other laboratories who may use a different method (e.g. free PSA). 

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