What is PSA velocity?
PSA velocity (PSAV) is simply a measure of how fast a man's PSA score (or PSA level) rises from one test to the next over a period of time. It is not a separate test that a man needs to have. PSA velocity is used as a tool to help determine a man's risk of having a positive biopsy for prostate cancer if he has a “normal” value. It is also widely used to help doctors predict how aggressive prostate cancer may be. Generally doctors look at the results of three PSA tests over a period of 18 months to two years. The "acceptable" rise in the score depends on what the initial score is. For example, if your loved one's initial PSA score is less than 4 ng/mL, a rise of 0.35 ng/mL per year or higher may be cause for concern, according to the American Urological Association (AUA) and the American Cancer Society. So if your man's initial PSA level was 2.4 and it rises to 2.8 within 2 years, his doctor might suggest a biopsy. If your man's initial PSA is between 4 and 10 ng/mL, his doctor might advise a biopsy if his PSA rises faster than 0.75 ng/mL a year (for example, if his score went from 4 to 4.8 to 5.6 within 2 years). Having said all this, a recent best practice statement by the AUA suggests that PSAV alone is not more accurate to predict whether or not a man may have a positive biopsy than a single PSA value. And there are some physicians who have questioned the value of PSAV in assessing a man's risk of getting prostate cancer or determining how aggressive it may be. PSAV after treatment for prostate cancer PSA velocity is also used in men who have already had treatment for prostate cancer. For example, if your man has had a radical prostatectomy and his PSA starts to rise after his surgery, his doctor may use PSA velocity to determine if he should have salvage treatment right away (such as salvage radiation or hormone treatment with salvage radiation) for his recurrence. 8/09 Always discuss everything you read on this web site with a qualified medical professional.  Custom Search References: American Urological Association. Prostate-specific antigen: best practice statement: 2009 update. http://www.auanet.org/content/guidelines-and-quality-care/clinical-guidelines/main-reports/psa09.pdf. Accessed August 4, 2009. American Urological Association. Prostate cancer: screening and management. http://www.auanet.org/content/education-and-meetings/med-stu-curriculum/prostate-cancer-PSA.pdf. Accessed August 4, 2009. American Cancer Society. Can prostate cancer be found early? http://www.cancer.org/docroot/cri/content/cri_2_4_3x_can_prostate_cancer_be_found_early_36.asp. Accessed August 4, 2009. 
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