PSA Prostate Cancer Screening Test

Screening can provide earlier detection of prostate cancer which could provide the opportunity for more treatment options and better survival odds in some men, but there are also potential risks associated with screening, diagnosis and treatment that should be considered. Possible risks may include false positive results, overdiagnosis of prostate cancer and potential complications from prostate cancer treatment. Detection and treatment of a slow-growing prostate cancer that may have never caused symptoms in the patient’s lifetime can result in complications from the treatment, but no benefit, referred to as overdiagnosis.¹

Yes to both. A false negative result is possible (normal PSA level when in fact the person has prostate cancer). Patients taking certain medications, including finasteride (a.k.a. Propecia) and dutasteride (a.k.a. Avodart) may have a falsely lower PSA level.

A false positive result is possible (elevated PSA level when in fact the person does not have prostate cancer). False positive results may cause patients to worry unnecessarily and may lead to unnecessary additional testing and treatment, so it’s important to be aware of this possibility. Older men are more likely to have false positive results because PSA levels increase with age in otherwise healthy men.⁸ Common benign conditions such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) can also result in a false positive result. 

As with any kind of screening or testing, you should share and discuss your test results with your healthcare provider.

High levels of PSA may be a sign of prostate cancer. Although this test does contribute to early diagnosis of men with prostate cancer, an elevated PSA test alone does not always indicate cancer. Benign conditions, such as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostatitis, often elevate PSA levels. Furthermore, BPH is much more common than prostate cancer, affecting nearly 70% of men in their 60’s.¹ Older men are more likely to have false positive results (i.e., high PSAs in the absence of cancer) because PSA levels increase with age in otherwise healthy men.²  In some studies, men over 50 with mildly elevated PSAs (4.0 – 10.0 ng/mL) only had a 25% probability of having prostate cancer on biopsy.³

As with any kind of screening or testing, you should share and discuss your test results with your healthcare provider who can help you interpret an abnormal result and determine if further evaluation is indicated.

Your testing will be performed in a CLIA-certified clinical laboratory. Labcorp provides leading-edge medical laboratory tests and services through a national network of primary clinical laboratories and specialty testing laboratories. Our labs perform regular quality assurance testing to ensure our results are accurate.

Your results will be provided to you through our secure online portal to view or print. Results are also made available through a secure portal to the independent healthcare provider who placed your test order.  If you are accessing your results through your Labcorp Patient™ account, all users linked to the account will have access to all OnDemand test results. Results may also be provided to a local, state, and/or federal health authority; for example, many states require the testing laboratory and physician to report test results for certain communicable diseases, such as COVID-19, to local or state health departments.

If you have questions or comments regarding the Labcorp Notice of Privacy Practices, or have a complaint about our use or disclosure of your PHI or our privacy practices, please contact: privacyofficer@labcorp.com, call us at (877) 234-4722 (877-23-HIPAA) and ask for the Labcorp HIPAA Privacy Officer, or send a written request to: HIPAA Privacy Officer, Labcorp, 531 South Spring Street, Burlington, NC 27215. You also may file a complaint with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Visit the Labcorp OnDemand® website to browse and purchase laboratory tests and create your Labcorp Patient™ account to view your results. All Labcorp OnDemand testing requires an order from an authorized healthcare professional. For your convenience, Labcorp OnDemand has contracted with independent professional entities (collectively, Providers) to deliver healthcare provider services. Visit a Labcorp location for sample collection; or, if using an at-home collection kit, collect your sample yourself. We’ll let you know when your results are ready and can be accessed through your Labcorp Patient™ account.