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

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web What did the study find? Between 1999 and 2009 more than 82,000 British men ages 50 to 69 received a prostate-specific antigen or PSA test. —

Karen Weintraub, USA TODAY, 11 Mar. 2023 Scientists and urologists have found that Selenium contributes to lowering prostate-specific antigen levels in men, which is a superb way to reduce prostate cancer risk to some extent. —

Amber Smith, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2023 Although several seminal plasma allergens have been reported and their molecular masses have been estimated to range between 12 and 75 kd, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) has recently been identified as a causative allergen. —

Ncbi Rofl, Discover Magazine, 2 June 2012 The rise in cases of deadly prostate cancer may be partly linked to recommendations against prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, screening for healthy men, experts suggest. —

Linda Carroll, NBC News, 12 Jan. 2023 One of Hinds’ blood tests that summer came back with an alarming result: His prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, level was very high. —

Dallas News, 15 Dec. 2022 Biochemical tests revealed high levels of prostate-specific antigen, or PSA. —

George Johnson, Discover Magazine, 30 July 2013 Cancer is absent in about 70% of patients who show elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen and 7% to 12% those with suspicious mammograms. —

Allysia Finley, WSJ, 8 Oct. 2021 The ratio is even worse for PSA (prostate-specific antigen) tests for prostate cancer in men. —

John Horgan, Scientific American, 30 Sep. 2021 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prostate-specific antigen.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1979, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of prostate-specific antigen was in 1979

See more words from the same year

Dictionary Entries Near prostate-specific antigen

prostate gland

prostate-specific antigen

prostaticovesical

See More Nearby Entries

Cite this Entry

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“Prostate-specific antigen.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prostate-specific%20antigen. Accessed 3 Jun. 2023.

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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