Despite the decreased mortality of prostate cancer since the advent of PSA as a screening tool, a high degree of scrutiny has arisen over the number of unnecessary biopsies and subsequent testing related to false positive PSA tests.3-4
Some of this controversy relates directly to the fact that PSA also is found to be elevated in common, non-malignant conditions of the prostate, including prostatitis and benign prostatic hypertrophy (BPH). Others have argued that not all prostate cancers are associated with a high degree of mortality, and that if well-contained within the prostate, are not a cause for surgical intervention to remove the tumor or perform a prostatectomy.5-6
Despite its shortcomings, PSA remains one of the most ordered cancer screening tests.3
