My Father's PSA Level Was an 8. What Does it Mean?

Question

Asked by prodigy nyc

My Father Just Got His Psa Results, They Told Him His Psa Levels Was An 8, What Do That Mean?

My father just got his psa levels back and they told him his psa levels was an 8, what do we do now? my dad already had 3 of his brothers and a sister that died from cancer. just last month we was told his oldest brother caner came back, in the last 5 yrs we have been in hospitals and attending funerals of my uncles and aunt.we really need help and answer. all of my dad silbling are all dropping like flys behind cancer. can this be a geneic disorder thats killing them.please help our family.

Answer

Hi Prodigy,

Thanks for your question. The results of a PSA test do not, by themselves, definitely indicate the presence of prostate cancer. You can find out more about what this in our article on What Different PSA Levels Mean. A PSA of 8 is high though, and warrants a follow up with his doctor. The doctor may decide that the best plan is to closely monitor the PSA level over time, testing frequently, or he may recommend that a prostate biopsy be performed. A biopsy is the only way to check for the presence of prostate cancer.

Having relatives who also had prostate cancer is one of the risk factors of prostate cancer. The article states that "Having one family member with prostate cancer doubles a man's own risk, and having three family members poses an 11-fold risk for the disease." Keep in mind that this is only true of prostate cancer; the same has not been found for other types of cancer. Because of this, your father should definitely be proactive about seeking the recommendation of a doctor and starting treatment, if necessary.

Hope this helps,

Dan