Elevated PSA levels aren’t always predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy

A recent study performed at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have discovered that some elevated prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in men are not necessarily a predictor of the need for a prostate biopsy. Study findings suggest that elevated levels of PSA may be caused by a hormone normally occurring in the body.

Traditionally, elevated levels of PSA have been seen as a potential sign of prostate cancer, leading to the widespread use of PSA testing. This study concludes that parathyroid hormone, a substance the body produces to regulate calcium in the blood, can elevate prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in healthy men who do not have prostate cancer. These “non-cancer” elevations in PSA could cause many men to be biopsied unnecessarily, which often leads to unnecessary treatment.