What is a normal PSA?

Timothy N. Showalter, MD

Academic Title: Assistant Professor

Board Certifications:
Radiation Oncology

The most common definition of a “normal” PSA is less than 4.0 ng/mL.  However, it is also important to know that PSA levels may increase with age and may also become elevated due to benign prostate hypertrophy (BPH), which is a different problem and is not a risk factor for prostate cancer.  The trend in PSA values for an individual patient is also important, as rapid increases in PSA can be a warning sign for prostate cancer.