Usually, but not always. The amount of PSA is our best measurement for the amount of prostate cancer in a man. For example, a man with 100 prostate cancer cells would typically have a higher PSA than a man with ten cancer cells.

The average PSA level is 7.2 ng/ml, but there is a wide variation. There are men who were treated for prostate cancer with a PSA as high as 430 ng/ml and as low as 0.3 ng/ml.

Prostate cancer cells leak a lot more PSA into the blood stream. On average, one prostate cancer cell will produce 10 times more PSA than one normal prostate cell. Consequently, a man with prostate cancer will usually, but not always, have a PSA level above 4.0 ng/ml or 2.5 ng/ml for men age 60 or younger.

The amount of PSA is generally related to prostate size and the prostate typically enlarges as men age. Overall, a PSA level of up to 4.0 ng/ml is considered normal for men older than 60, and 2.5 ng/ml is the upper normal range for men age 60 or younger. These are rough guidelines because some younger men will have enlarged prostates and some older men will have normal-sized glands. Furthermore, prostate cancer can occur with PSA less than 2.5 ng/ml.

PSA is an enzyme that is produced only by prostate cells, both normal and cancerous, and secreted into the semen to keep it liquefied. Additionally, a small amount of PSA is continually leaked into the blood stream by prostate cells. The PSA in the blood is measured by the PSA test.

You do not have to be a doctor to understand prostate cancer and learn about cures; it’s easy. Here are things you should do.

a)When speaking to your urologist or radiation oncologist, ALWAYS ask these four key questions:


1. How many men with prostate cancer have you personally treated?
2. Do you have a computerized database of all the men you have treated?
3. How many of these men have PSA 0.2 ng/ml 10 years after treatment?
4. If you were to treat my particular case of prostate cancer, what is my 10-year Individual Cure Rate?


(b) Get a second opinion from both urologists and radiation oncologists.
(c) Perform an Internet search for “prostate cancer” and “prostate cancer treatment” on Google, Yahoo or other search engines.
(d) Speak with friends and neighbors who have been treated for prostate cancer.
(e) Read medical research papers from peer-reviewed medical journals.