prostate-specific antigen

American  

[prahst-ayt-spi-sif-ik an-ti-juhn] / ˈprɑst eɪt spɪˈsɪf ɪk ˈæn tɪ dʒən /

noun

1. Physiology. a protein produced by the prostate that, if present in high levels, may indicate the presence of cancer.

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prostate-specific antigen Scientific  

1. A protease secreted by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland. Blood levels are elevated in patients with prostate enlargement and prostate cancer and are used as a screening test for prostate cancer.

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Example Sentences

In a Phase 1 trial, 14 of 17 patients showed at least a 50% reduction in prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, a protein that indicates the presence of prostate cancer at elevated levels.

From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026

But advanced prostate cancer has increased in recent years as fewer men receive prostate-specific antigen tests.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 14, 2026

The EpiSwitch PSE test is said to be able to detect prostate cancer with 94% accuracy, which the charity called a "significant improvement" on the most commonly used prostate-specific antigen test.

From BBC • Feb. 25, 2025

This is especially valuable because, measures of disease burden, such as prostate-specific antigen levels, become unreliable when a tumor switches its identity to NEPC.

From Science Daily • Jan. 10, 2024

Men aged 55 to 69 or otherwise at risk can be tested for a prostate-specific antigen, a substance made by the prostate.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 24, 2023