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Test Code PSA Prostate Specific Antigen, Total

Additional Codes

Cerner

NextGen

PSA Diagnostic (Ortho)

PSA Diagnostic (Ortho)

PSA Screen (Ortho)

PSA Screen (Ortho)

Methodology

(Vitros) Immunometric immunoassay, Chemiluminescent

Patient Preparation

None

Collection Instructions

Standard phlebotomy practices.

Specimen Requirements

Container

Specimen Type

Tube

Lithium Heparin Plasma

PST

 or  or 

Serum

 or 

SST

 or  or 

 

Stability

Storage

Temperature

Stability

Room Temperature

18-28°C

Not recommended

Refrigerated

 2-8°C

≤ 7 days

Frozen

≤-20 °C

4 weeks

Thaw 1 time only

Rejection Criteria

Gross Hemolysis

Turbid Specimens

Result Reporting and Reference Values

For males >18 years of age the reference range is <4.0 ng/mL

Reflex Testing

None

Limitations

  • Ortho reports a bias with the following:
    • Acetaminophen at 200 µg/mL can cause a +0.335 ng/mL bias
    • Hemoglobin at 200 mg/dL can cause a +0.118 ng/mL bias
    • Biotin can cause a negative bias
  • Ortho reports no significant effect with the following:
    • Bilirubin up to 20 mg/dL
    • Hemoglobin up to 1000 mg/dL

Note: This is not an ultrasensitive PSA.

Useful For

Prostate cancer is the most common type of cancer found in men in the United States, and is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among American men.  It is more successfully treated if diagnosed early.

The Vitros PSA test measures total PSA.  Elevated serum PSA concentrations are found in men with prostate cancer, benign prostatic hypertrophy (BHP) or inflammatory conditions of other adjacent genitourinary tissues, but not in apparently healthy men or in men with cancers other than prostate cancer.  Serial measurement of PSA is useful in detecting residual tumor and recurrent cancer after radical prostatectomy.  PSA has been demonstrated to be an accurate marker for monitoring advancing clinical state in untreated patients and for monitoring response to therapy by radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy and anti-androgen therapy.