Quiz: What's Your PSA IQ? | Caremark Health Resources

When the prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test received Food and Drug Administration approval in 1986, it forever changed the way doctors think about prostate cancer. They finally had a simple test that could help detect a major killer -- essentially a mammogram for men. But like the mammogram, the PSA test is surrounded by confusion and controversy. Take this short true-false quiz to find out how much you know about testing for prostate cancer.

1. If your PSA test comes back slightly higher than normal, you probably have cancer.

True
False

2. Medical experts unanimously agree that all men over 50 should have yearly PSA tests to check for prostate cancer.

True
False

3. In general, a digital rectal exam is less sensitive than the PSA test for detecting cancer.

True
False

4. Doctors can't diagnose prostate cancer until they've conducted a biopsy.

True
False

5. According to the American Cancer Society, early screening for prostate cancer is especially important for African-Americans.

True
False

6. If you've already been diagnosed with prostate cancer, there's no reason to have your PSA checked again.

True
False

Last updated Nov 11, 2008

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