MEDICAL MONDAY: New clinic offers closer look at elevated PSA numbers

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - A simple PSA blood test can help detect prostate cancer, but an elevated PSA does not necessarily mean cancer, according to doctors.

PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by cells in the prostate. It is measured through a blood test.

“They will spill this protein into the blood stream and then we can measure it,” said Brian Center, radiation oncologist with Florida Cancer Affiliates.

Center said while a rising PSA can be a sign of prostate cancer, it can also be caused by other things.

“PSA can be elevated for reasons aside from cancer, such as chronic inflammation, BPH, infections,” Center said.

A new evaluation clinic located at Florida Cancer Affiliates allows primary care doctors to refer men with an elevated PSA so specialists can take a closer look before deciding what, if anything, needs to happen next.

“These newer tests can kind of help us delineate what is prostate cancer from what is just a benign elevation in PSA,” Center said.

Doctors can use advanced technology to help determine next steps.

“We also have advanced imaging now with multi-parametric MRI, where you can see clinically significant prostate cancer nodules that help us determine whether there is a clinically significant prostate cancer and more accurately biopsy the lesion instead of just doing blind biopsies,” Center said.

If cancer is found, patients have more options than ever. Treatment can range from active surveillance for some lower-risk cases to surgery or newer, more targeted radiation and drug therapies.

“I just hope that we can provide more personalized treatment for patients that have prostate cancer so that we can give them the treatment that’s right for them and what their goals are, to try to avoid as much toxicity and side effects, while giving them a high quality and quantity of life,” Center said.

The goal is to find the patients who need treatment without putting every man with an elevated PSA through unnecessary procedures. For patients who do need treatment, doctors say newer technology is helping them target the cancer more precisely.

Men with an elevated PSA can talk with their primary care provider about a referral. The goal is to help patients understand what that number means and whether they need further testing or treatment.

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