When to do a prostate biopsy for an elevated PSA-Well….that depends.

The PSA is very dependable after treatment for prostate cancer but not as much so before the diagnosis.

A lot of what folks do depends on “who they are.” The anxious patient may want to pursue a biopsy the first time it is elevated. The idea of waiting a couple a weeks and maybe a course of “empiric” antibiotics is something they don’t want to do. Another “calmer” type patient might wait months or as I have seen,”I’ll just repeat it at my yearly Doc.”
It is always reasonable to repeat any lab value that is elevated. With the PSA, a two-week interval with or without antibiotics is something I commonly recommend.
If there is a history of prostate cancer in the family that would make one more inclined to do a biopsy.
The rectal exam trumps the PSA…so i the PSA is high and you are questioning the results and you want to repeat it…to most urologists, if the PSA is normal and the rectal exam has…