A 65-year-old man presents to his urologist for a routine check-up. His blood test results show elevated levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The urologist explains the potential causes of the elevated PSA levels.
Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is most specifically associated with:
A. Testicular carcinoma
B. Prostatic carcinoma
C. Gastric carcinoma
D. Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)
E. Prostatitis
Answer:
The Correct Answer is: B. Prostatic carcinoma
Explanation:
Prostatic carcinoma (B):
– PSA is a protein produced by both normal and malignant cells of the prostate gland. Elevated levels of PSA in the blood are most specifically associated with prostate cancer, making it a critical marker for screening and monitoring the disease.
Explanation of Incorrect Options:
Testicular carcinoma (A):
– Testicular carcinoma does not typically cause an elevation in PSA levels. Markers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) are more relevant for testicular cancer.
Gastric carcinoma (C):
– Gastric carcinoma, a cancer of the stomach, is not associated with elevated PSA levels. PSA is specific to the prostate gland.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) (D):
– Although BPH can cause elevated PSA levels, it is a non-cancerous enlargement of the prostate and not the most specific association for raised PSA levels.
Prostatitis (E):
– Prostatitis can also lead to increased PSA levels due to inflammation of the prostate gland, but it is not the most specific condition associated with elevated PSA.
In conclusion, PSA is most specifically associated with prostatic carcinoma, making option B the correct answer.