
Does a High PSA Always Mean Cancer?
Q: I’m confused about the PSA screening. There’s been a lot of conflicting information in the news recently. Should I be getting a routine testing? And if my PSA levels are high, does it mean I have prostate cancer?
Pete K.
Dr. G: Listening to advice about whether or not to get a prostate-specific antigen (PSA) test is a lot like watching a game of tennis. It keeps going back and forth.
Get it.
Don’t get it.
Get it.
Don’t get it.
When the “experts” keep changing their minds, it’s no wonder you (and most other men) would be confused.
For years, the PSA test was the end-all, be-all of prostate testing. Doctors pushed the test on their patients, and the patients dutifully listened.
Then a few years ago, this golden child of cancer screening fell out of favor.
It turned out that high PSA levels don’t necessarily indicate that a man has prostate cancer. And having normal levels doesn’t mean you DON’T have cancer!
The fact is, there are numerous factors that could cause PSA levels to be high that have nothing to do with prostate cancer. These include:
- Prostatitis, a condition caused by an inflamed prostate
- BPH, which is an enlarged prostate
- Certain medical procedures, like having a urinary catheter
- Urinary tract infections
- Strenuous exercise shortly before the PSA
- Ejaculation within 48 hours of the PSA
Despite this long list of potential causes of high PSA levels (that don’t include prostate cancer), most men who have a high reading will be compelled to get a biopsy.
That might seem innocent enough, but these procedures are incredibly invasive and can come with some pretty hefty complications, like bleeding, urinary retention, and life-threatening infections.
Making the matter even more complicated, men who DO have prostate cancer can live long, healthy lives following the “active surveillance” approach, while the surgery to remove the cancer can leave men incontinent, impotent, and in misery.
So what’s the answer?
I now recommend a new test called the 4Kscore Test. This test uses a unique algorithm that calculates a patient’s risk for aggressive prostate cancer—and that is, after all, what you really want to know.
The test is incredibly accurate, with fewer than 2 percent of significant cancers being missed, and ZERO more aggressive cancers being missed.
If you have a high PSA reading, talk to your doctor about the getting 4Kscore before making any decisions.
Want me to answer your question next? Email me at askdrg@naturalhealthresponse.com
To a brighter day,
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.

Written By Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D.
For years he’s been the trusted doctor for celebrities, world-class athletes, and countless seniors looking to reclaim their health.
And now…for the first time ever… he’s making his medical breakthroughs available to readers all across America.
Dr. Richard Gerhauser, M.D. is one of the most pioneering and innovative minds in medicine today – and he delivers cutting-edge cures each month through his Natural Health Response newsletter.
Natural Health Response readers get full access to Dr. Gerhauser’s protocols for chronic pain… heart disease… diabetes… Alzheimer’s… and even cancer. These are the very same treatments Dr. Gerhauser recommends to his own patients at his practice in Tucson, Arizona.
In addition to being a board-certified medical doctor, Dr. Gerhauser has earned two master’s degrees and has served as a clinical professor at the University of Arizona.
And as a physician at the world-famous Canyon Ranch, Dr. Gerhauser treated celebrities from around the world who paid dearly for the type of next-generation health information he provides Natural Health Response readers each month.
View More Free Articles
Shed Stubborn Belly Fat NATURALLY
The kids are back at school. September is drawing to a close. And summer is firmly in the review mirror. That means the holidays are right around the corner. They’ll be here before you know it. And with them, all the tempting treats that cause us to pack on the pounds. But THIS could be...
7 Habits SLASH Depression Risk
You don’t want to end up with depression. And it’s not just your mood you need to worry about. Depression affects your job, relationships, and your very outlook on life. Unlike some other conditions, prescription drugs to treat it are notoriously INEFFECTIVE. They call it “treatment-resistant” depression—as if it’s the condition’s fault that the drug...
How to SURVIVE a Heart Attack
My goal is for you to never have a heart attack. And if you put my health tips into practice, you’ll be SLASHING your odds of ever having one. But if you do end up being one of the 800,000 Americans who will suffer from a heart attack this year, I want to share something...
Natural DNA Hack SHIELDS You Against Aging
Being taller doesn’t make you live longer… but having longer telomeres DOES. Telomeres are the tips on the ends of your DNA strands that protect them… Kind of like the plastic tip at the end of a shoelace (technically called aglets). If the aglet falls off, the shoelaces typically start to fray and can deteriorate...
Drug-Free RELIEF for Painful Indigestion
Some health issues have an impact on your life. Others, like indigestion, attack your QUALITY of life. Common symptoms like bloating, nausea, and stomach pain can sideline you. They make you miss out on the things you love and leave you miserable. But if you battle indigestion, I have some FANTASTIC news. Researchers uncovered a...
ONE Move Dials DOWN Dementia Risk
When it comes to your health, you’re either building it up or tearing it down. The same is true of your brain. The dramatic rise in dementia and Alzheimer’s over the past few decades is NOT due to bad luck or bad genes… but bad choices. But this is good news because it means YOU’RE...
Superfood Sends Diabetes Risk PLUMMETING
If it’s not a drug, modern medicine downplays its impact. Unfortunately, the idea that food can be used as medicine isn’t taken seriously. Or worse, it’s outright dismissed. It’s a tragedy and an outrage. After all, healthy foods are brimming with potent nutrients, every bit as powerful as any drug in the pharmacy. These “natural...
5 VITAL Reasons to Get MORE Vitamin D
If you’re a regular Natural Health Today reader, you ALREADY know I’m a BIG fan of sunlight. Getting plenty of sunshine throughout your day sets your circadian rhythm, translating to better sleep, metabolism, energy levels, and more. Sunlight is also, hands down, the BEST source of vitamin D. Why would you want to load up...
Don't Ignore This Bedroom WARNING (ED Red Flag!)
Men, if you find yourself suffering from erectile dysfunction (ED), you want solutions. FAST. And I get it. Regardless of your age, it’s a disturbing condition. But today, I have a warning for you. New research reveals that instead of seeing ED as merely a problem that needs fixing, you should see it as a...
This "Healthy" Diet Food Could KILL
Yesterday, I told you about new research revealing that obesity-related heart deaths have tripled in recent years. If this has you thinking about ways to reduce the number on the scale, great! But if you’re considering choosing sugar-free, zero-calorie packaged diet foods made with sugar substitutes… That’s NOT the way to do it. Sugar substitutes...