Do you know the definition of the abbreviation PSA? This guide will provide you with the meaning of PSA, its usage, examples, and more!
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Kevin
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February 7, 2022
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Common Questions
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The term PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen. PSA is a protein that is made by the prostate gland. Doctors can test PSA levels, and a high PSA level can indicate several disorders and diseases. Learn more about PSAs below!
What Does a High PSA Level Mean?
A high PSA level can indicate prostate cancer, an enlarged prostate gland, a urinary tract infection, or prostatitis, which is a noncancerous condition. Be careful: if you are taking drugs like dutasteride (Avodart) or finasteride (Propecia or Proscar), they can falsely lower your PSA levels during a PSA test.
Doctors can use PSA levels to distinguish between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer.
How Do You Test PSAs?
In order to test PSA levels, doctors will draw blood and send it to a lab to be tested. PSA levels are reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood (ng/mL). Doctors often recommend that men or people with a prostate be tested between the ages of 40 and 50. This depends on whether you are high risk or have a family history of prostate cancer.
If you need your PSA density levels measured, doctors will perform an MRI or transrectal ultrasound to examine the rectum. People at a higher risk of prostate cancer with above normal PSAs will likely need a PSA test more frequently than those who aren’t.
Different factors can affect PSA levels, so don’t panic if you have an abnormal total PSA level. Things like ejaculation, aging, bike riding often, warm climates, and more can affect small amounts of PSA and don’t necessarily indicate a prostate cancer diagnosis. Many doctors will perform a free PSA test.
How Is Prostate Cancer Diagnosed?
According to Mayo Clinic, if your test results come back as abnormal, doctors may require further testing. They may do a digital rectal exam, feel or press on the prostate with a gloved finger to check for lumps or hard areas, or do a prostate biopsy.
A prostate biopsy is usually one of the last tests done to rule out prostate cancer after a Urine PCA3 test. This urine test tests for a mix of different genes that show up in nearly 50% of PSA-tested men who have prostate cancer. If you show symptoms of prostate cancer, your doctor may order a PSA test.
If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, you may have to go through different forms of therapy like radiation or surgery. These all have different side effects.
What Else Can PSA Stand For?
PSA can stand for many other things outside of the medical industry. Take a look at this list of potential meanings from The Free Dictionary to learn more.
Technology
If you work in technology, you may hear PSA in the following contexts:
- Physical Sector Address
- Protection Switch Activated (Alcatel)
- Provider Stationary Agent
- Protocol Specific Annex (Winsock 2)
- Platform Security Architecture (Arm Ltd.)
- Product Specific Attribute
- Php Site Admin
- Problem Statement Analyzer
- Program Start Address
- Prefixed Storage Area
- Personal Sound Architecture
- Professional Services Automation
- Personal Search Agent (job search)
- Peugeot Societe Anonyme
- Platform Services Agreement
- Parameter-Sweep Application
- Personal Shopping Assistant
- Process Save Area
- Personal Salon Assistant
- Pre-Delivery Service Agent (network service payments)
- Packet Switching ASIC (Cisco)
- Personal Shopping Advisor
- Print Server Appliance
- Pushdown Stack Automation
- Power Supply Adapter
- Plesk Server Administrator (SWsoft)
- Printer Subassembly
- Persistent Staging Area (SAP Business Intelligence)
- Production Support Application (SAP)
- Project South Asia (digital library)
- Professional Services Applications
- Print Service Appliance
- Parallel Signature Analysis
- Pseudo Stuck-At (Fault)
- Prohibit Signaling Address (Bellcore)
- Portable Sport Audio
Slang
These slang terms can also stand in for PSA:
- Project Smash Attack
- Please See Attached (email threads)
- Plymouth Society of Artists (UK)
- Penguin Secret Agency (gaming clan)
- Potter Slash Archive (fanfiction)
Science
If science is more your speed, you may hear PSA in reference to these terms:
- Phase Shift Analysis
- Performance Spectrum Analyzer (Agilent Technologies)
- Pseudomonas Aeruginosa (pathogen)
- Potentiometric Stripping Analysis
- Polarizer-Sample-Analyzer
- Programme on Space Applications (UN)
- Protein Sequence Analysis
- Patient Support Assembly (medical equipment)
- Provision Stowage Assembly
- Pharmacy Service Associate
- Packaging Safety Assessment
- Pressure Sensitive Adhesive
- Protein Specific Antigen
- Plataforma Solar de Almeria (Spain)
- Planar Spaced Array
- PolySubstance Abuse
- Prolate Spheroidal Antenna
- Pleomorphic Salivary Gland Adenoma
- Probabilistic Safety Assessment
- Power Supplied to the Antenna
- Parasternal Short Axis (cardiology)
- Public Speaking Anxiety
- Pharmaceutical Society of Australia
- Pressure Swing Adsorber
- Pseudo-Spectral Acceleration (earthquakes)
- Pseudoaneurysm
- Poultry Science Association
- Preferred Spin Axis (bowling)
- Pakistan Society of Anaesthesiologists
- Polar Surface Area
- Path Signature Analysis
- Potato Sucrose Agar
- Probabilistic Safety Analysis
- Phytochemical Society of Asia
- Physician Scarcity Area
- Pulse Shaping Amplifier
- Polysaccharide A (bacteria)
- Power Section Assembly
- Psoriatic Arthritis
Government
Calling all patriots! These government-approved meanings for PSA may be helpful if you work in government:
- Passenger Services Act of 1886
- Private Security Authority (Ireland)
- Pooled Separate Account (IRS Form 5500)
- Public Sector Agency
- Programa Social Agropecuario (Spanish: Agricultural Social Program; Argentina)
- Public Stadium Authority (Washington)
- Post Shakedown Availability (US Navy)
- Public Service Agreement (UK government)
- Pennsylvania State Archives
- Project Support Agreement
- Provisional Site Acceptance
- Personnel Support Activity
- Pension Security Act (of 2003)
- Predictive Support Awareness
- Port Security Assessment
- Planning and Service Area
- Presidential Support Aircraft
- Pre-Solicitation Agreement
- Precision Strike Association
- Post Shipment Advices (UK)
- Program Support Agreement
- Pre-Sunrise Authorization (for AM radio stations)
- Provisional System Acceptance
- Plant Systems Audit (USDA)
- Purchase and Sale Agreement
- Principal Staff Assistant (OSD)
- Primary Service Area (various organizations)
- Power Supply Agreement
- Private Security Account
- Postal Services Act (various locations)
- Public Sector Agreement
- Police Service Area
- Protective Security Advisor
- Project Support Agency
Conclusion
The abbreviation PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen. This level is tested to determine if someone may have a condition like prostate cancer or other prostate illnesses.
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