prostate-specific antigen

noun

pros·​tate-spe·​cif·​ic antigen

: a protease secreted by epithelial cells of the prostate gland that is used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer since its concentration in blood serum tends to be proportional to the clinical stage of the disease

—abbreviation PSA

Examples of prostate-specific antigen in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

These tests measure prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced by both normal and malignant cells from the prostate gland. —Jack Knudson, Discover Magazine, 14 May 2025

According to the researchers’ calculations, these markers even outperformed prostate-specific antigen (PSA), the blood biomarker currently used in clinical practice. —Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2025

However, there is a continuous rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA), indicating disease progression. —Matthew Wosnitzer, Verywell Health, 18 Apr. 2025

The rising cases correspond with a change in guidelines for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing, in which the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) stopped recommending the screenings in 2012, according to the UCSF press release. —Angelica Stabile, Fox News, 6 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prostate-specific antigen

• trigone

Medical Definition

prostate-specific antigen

noun

: a protease that is secreted by the epithelial cells of the prostate and is used in the diagnosis of prostate cancer since its concentration in the blood serum tends to be proportional to the clinical stage of the disease

—abbreviation PSA