Normal PSA Level Age Chart
Prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, is a protein produced by cells of the prostate gland. The PSA test measures the level of PSA in a man’s blood. PSA is produced by normal cells and malignant cells, it’s often elevated in men with prostate cancer, but a number of benign (not cancerous) conditions can also cause a man’s PSA level to rise.
Diseases associated with an elevated PSA level includes:
- Prostatitis (inflammation of the prostate)
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) (enlargement of the prostate)
- Prostate cancer
- Urinary tract infection
A man’s PSA level generally rises by age.
| Normal PSA Levels by Age Chart | |||
| Age | Asian | African | Caucasian |
| (Years) | (ng/mL) | (ng/mL) | (ng/mL) |
| 40 – 49 | 0 – 2.0 | 0 – 2.0 | 0 – 2.5 |
| 50 – 59 | 0 – 3.0 | 0 – 4.0 | 0 – 3.5 |
| 60 – 69 | 0 – 4.0 | 0 – 4.5 | 0 – 4.5 |
| 70 – 79 | 0 – 5.0 | 0 – 5.5 | 0 – 6.5 |
There is no specific normal or abnormal level of PSA in the blood, and levels may vary over time in the same man. In the past, if a man had a PSA level above 4.0 ng/mL, doctors would often recommend a prostate biopsy to determine whether prostate cancer was present.
However, more recent studies have shown that some men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/mL have prostate cancer and that many men with higher levels do not have prostate cancer.
According to statistics, a higher PSA score is linked to a higher probability of developing prostate cancer.
- 15% of men with a PSA level less than 4 ng/ml develop prostate cancer.
- 31% of men with PSA levels between 4 – 10 ng/ml develop prostate cancer.
- 50% – 65% of men with psa scores over 10 ng/ml develop prostate cancer.
Scientists have been researching to find a way to distinguish cancerous from benign conditions and slow-growing cancers from fast-growing. None has been proved effective. Among all these measures, one of them is Age-specific PSA reference ranges.
Because a man’s PSA level tends to increase with age, it has been suggested that the use of age-specific PSA reference ranges may increase the accuracy of PSA tests. However, age-specific reference ranges have not been generally favored because their use may delay the detection of prostate cancer in many men.