Mar 11
4
More on PSA Levels and Prostate Cancer
There has been a lot of debate lately about the PSA test that has been used for years and years as a “valid predictor” of male prostate cancer. The reason for the debate is warranted. Science has simply come across a lot of cases where the PSA test is just not a reliable predictor.
Men who had lower than the “safe level” for the PSA test later found out they had prostate cancer, and vice versa, which definitely sheds some doubt on this once considered gold standard prediction test for the dreaded male centric cancer.
The prostate specific antigen test is still being used as the test of choice for most doctors when prostate cancer is suspected, because as of right now, there just isn’t another test that is out there which can do anything close to predicting the cancer.
Some men may simply have a high PSA count because their prostate is enlarged, which becomes very common over time for men, and in fact is common place and almost a given when men get older.
Other men may have a high PSA count because they have issues with their prostate, or may be in a precancerous state that needs to be monitored closely. And some just plain old have “false positives” and get scared out of their minds for no good reason.
One thing to remember is that the prostate is like any other part of your body. All or your organs will function better and function longer if you take care of your body as a whole. Exercise and diet are absolutely key to keeping the prostate in peak condition for as long as you live.
Also, if you smoke, that is a habit you will definitely want to quit as soon as possible. Smoking can increase the risk of any type of cancer and hinder the health of your prostate because the stuff you inhale is loaded with cancer causing toxins which help the body to mutate healthy cells, which can lead to many kinds of cancer.
