Description
What is Prostate?
The prostate is an internal gland in men. It is about the size of a chestnut and lies between the bladder and the penis. It produces the fluid part of semen that carries sperm. The urethra, the tube that transports urine from bladder to penis, runs through it.
Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
BPH is the enlargement of the prostate gland. The cells that make up the prostate begin to grow and multiply. This growth of the prostate compresses the urethra and hence obstructs the flow of urine, making it more difficult to pass urine and to empty the bladder completely.
The prevalence of BPH increases with age. Some degree of BPH is present in 50% of men over 60 years old and 90% of men over 80 years old.
According to Department of Health of HKSAR, prostate cancer was the third commonest cancer in men.
About prostate cancer
Benign prostatic hyperplasia rarely causes symptoms after age 40, the occurrence and symptoms increase with age like trouble urinating, urinary retention, weak urine stream, pain and nocturia, which affect the quality of life. These maybe the precursors of prostatitis or prostate cancer. Early symptoms of prostate cancer are not obvious, and some symptoms are similar to benign prostatic hyperplasia. As a result, some patients are in the middle and late stages when discovered, delay in treatment leads to a greatly reduced survival rate.
Common symptoms
Includes difficulty in starting urination, weak urine stream, nocturia, i.e. frequent urination at night, urinary retention, i.e. incomplete emptying of the bladder, increased urinary frequency and urinary urgency.
Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland. Small quantities of PSA are normally found in blood of men.
What does an increase in blood level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) mean?
An increase in blood level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) does not indicate prostate cancer. Many factors cause increase level of PSA with,
- Prostatitis
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Prostate cancer
- Urethritis
- Aging
PSA value of most men will increase steadily every year. In general, normal value of PSA is 3-4 ng/ml. If the PSA value exceeds 4 ng/ml or increases abnormally, it is recommend to have further examination and consult with doctor consultation are recommended doctor.
Positive result
If the result is positive, the concentration of PSA in the blood is above normal levels and you must consult a physician, who will establish what to do next. PSA is a specific prostate marker but it does not necessarily imply the presence of neoplasia.
Negative result
If the result is negative, the concentration of PSA is normal. A negative result does not exclude thsibility of prostatic pathologies. If the result is negative but you have urinary tract symptoms (difficulty urinating, pain, increased frequency) you should talk to your physician.
When can the test be used?
The Prostate PSA Test can be performed at any time of the day, but in some cases it is advisable to wait for a specific period of time in order to avoid a false positive result.
*Read these instructions for use carefully before performing the test. The Test is reliable only if all the instructions are followed correctly.
Video tutorial: https://youtu.be/qAuY7N4Cz44
Drug store list of PRIMA - Prostate PSA test (Chinese version)
