Lab tests
PSA test explainer
A PSA report can be a single number or several: total, free, a percentage, and sometimes a comparison with an earlier result. The reference range is often tied to age, so two people can be given different ranges for the same test. Add your report below to see each line named and set out.
Explain your PSA test
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What you get
- Total PSA, free PSA and the percent free figure on separate rows where your report gives them.
- A note on which figures are measured and which are worked out from the others.
- Any age-specific range or laboratory comment restated exactly as printed.
- Questions to take to your GP or urologist.
Lines you may see on a PSA report
- PSA (prostate-specific antigen)A protein made by the prostate gland, measured in the blood
- Total PSAAll the PSA in the sample, usually given in ng/mL or micrograms per litre
- Free PSAThe part of PSA that is not attached to other proteins in the blood
- Percent free PSA or free-to-total ratioFree PSA divided by total PSA
- Age-specific reference rangeA range the laboratory sets according to the patient's age
- PSA density and PSA velocityFigures calculated from PSA together with prostate size, or from the change between tests over time
What this tool cannot tell you
PSA is not a test for one condition. It can be raised for several different reasons, some of them temporary, and the printed range is a general guide, not a verdict in either direction. What a result means depends on age, examination findings, previous results and medicines, none of which the report shows. MedicDecode explains the lines and does not estimate risk, diagnose, or say whether further tests are needed.
Common questions
Why does my report give a different range from someone else's?
Many laboratories print a PSA range that depends on the patient's age, and laboratories also differ in the method they use. A number is only comparable with the range on the same report.
What is free PSA and why was it added?
PSA travels in the blood either attached to other proteins or unattached, and the unattached part is called free PSA. Some laboratories measure it as well and print it as a percentage of the total. Why it was requested in your case is a question for whoever ordered the test.
Will it tell me if I need a biopsy or a scan?
No. That decision is made by a clinician using your result together with an examination, your history and often a repeat test. MedicDecode only explains what the report says.
Words you may see on this report
Tap a word for its plain-English meaning, an example line and what it does not mean.
- PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen)
PSA is a protein made by the prostate gland; its blood level can rise for several reasons, including enlargement, inflammation or cancer.
- ALT (Alanine Aminotransferase)
ALT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver; when liver cells are irritated or damaged, more ALT leaks into the blood.
- AST (Aspartate Aminotransferase)
AST is an enzyme found in the liver, muscles, heart and other tissues; raised levels can signal stress or damage in one of these.
- Bilirubin
Bilirubin is a yellow substance made when old red blood cells break down; the liver processes it so it can leave the body.
- Creatinine
Creatinine is a waste product from normal muscle activity that the kidneys filter out, so its blood level helps show how well the kidneys work.
- CRP (C-Reactive Protein)
CRP is a protein made by the liver that rises quickly when there is inflammation or infection in the body.
- Culture and Sensitivity
A culture and sensitivity test grows germs from a sample to identify them, then checks which antibiotics can stop them.
- eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate)
eGFR is an estimate of how well your kidneys filter waste from your blood, calculated from a creatinine blood test plus details like age.
- Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals in the blood, such as sodium, potassium and chloride, that carry an electric charge and help the body work.
- ESR (Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate)
ESR measures how fast red blood cells sink in a tube of blood over an hour; a faster rate can be a general sign of inflammation.
- Fasting Sample
A fasting sample is blood taken after you have had nothing to eat or drink except water for a set number of hours.
- Ferritin
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron; its blood level gives a good idea of how much iron the body has in reserve.