What Does A Low PSA Count Indicate?

Posted on Tue, 28 Apr 2015

Question: I am 70 year old XXXXXXX male and always had very low psa count( <2) Since my flow of urine gone down I checked my psa and it has gone upto 10.29. My esr is 35. My blood sugar went up to 178. I have no history of cancer in the family. My urologist feels it's either infection of ut or prostrate and not prostrate cancer. Please advise

Answered by Dr. Divakara (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Yes it could be infection.

Detailed Answer:
HI

Greetings from Dr.Divakara.P
Thanks for posting your query.

PSA ( Prostatic Specific Antigen ) is a protein secreted by Prostatic gland in males .

Apart from Cancer there are other conditions that can cause elevation in PSA. These are :

1. Infection in prostrate.
2. Benign Prostratic Hyperplasia : Means simple enlargement of the prostrate.

There are many approaches for you now but what I recommend is to start an Antibiotic ( that will treat the possible infection in prostrate ) course for 3 weeks and re-do the test after 3 weeks . If that value is also high then it is unlikely to be infection . .

In that case you need to undergo transrectal ultrasound and may be even a biopsy to confirm whether it is Cancer or Benign Prostratic Hyperplasia.

Hope this information was useful to you.
Any clarifications feel free to ask .

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Divakara (1 hour later)

My urologist wants to wait for the urine culture report which will come in 2/3days time and then consider antibiotic. However he made me start urimax 0.4 and feels that itself should bring down the psa count. Do you agree

Answered by Dr. Divakara (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
You can take Urimax.

Detailed Answer:
HI

You can take Urimax.

A normal Urine Culture report doesn't rule out infection in Prostrate. Even if it comes normal I would recommend a course of Antibiotics .

Regards.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Divakara (10 hours later)

One last question doctor. Does a psa count of 10.29 suggest cancer

Answered by Dr. Divakara (9 hours later)

Brief Answer:
It can be .

Detailed Answer:
HI

As said earlier it could be due to Cancer or Infection or Benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Only a biopsy can prove if it is cancer or not .

Don't worry , at worst if it turns out to be cancer it can be cured well.

relax.

Note: For more detailed guidance, please consult an Internal Medicine Specialist, with your latest reports. Click here..

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar