PRIMA Prostate PSA test

What is Prostate?
The prostate is an internal gland in men. It is about the size of a chestnut and lies between the bladder and the penis. It produces the fluid part of semen that carries sperm. The urethra, the tube that transports urine from bladder to penis, runs through it.

Benign Prostatic Hypertrophy (BPH)
BPH is the enlargement of the prostate gland. The cells that make up the prostate begin to grow and multiply. This growth of the prostate compresses the urethra and hence obstructs the flow of urine, making it more difficult to pass urine and to empty the bladder completely.
The prevalence of BPH increases with age. Some degree of BPH is present in 50% of men over 60 years old and 90% of men over 80 years old.

According to Department of Health of HKSAR, prostate cancer was the third commonest cancer in men.

About prostate cancer
Benign prostatic hyperplasia rarely causes symptoms after age 40, the occurrence and symptoms increase with age like trouble urinating, urinary retention, weak urine stream, pain and nocturia, which affect the quality of life. These maybe the precursors of prostatitis or prostate cancer. Early symptoms of prostate cancer are not obvious, and some symptoms are similar to benign prostatic hyperplasia. As a result, some patients are in the middle and late stages when discovered, delay in treatment leads to a greatly reduced survival rate.

Common symptoms
Includes difficulty in starting urination, weak urine stream, nocturia, i.e. frequent urination at night, urinary retention, i.e. incomplete emptying of the bladder, increased urinary frequency and urinary urgency.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA)
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the epithelial cells of the prostate gland. Small quantities of PSA are normally found in blood of men.

What does an increase in blood level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) mean?
An increase in blood level of prostate specific antigen (PSA) does not indicate prostate cancer. Many factors cause increase level of PSA with,
- Prostatitis
- Benign prostatic hyperplasia
- Prostate cancer
- Urethritis
- Aging

PSA value of most men will increase steadily every year. In general, normal value of PSA is 3-4 ng/ml. If the PSA value exceeds 4 ng/ml or increases abnormally, it is recommend to have further examination and consult with doctor consultation are recommended doctor.

Results
Positive: Two coloured bands appear in the reading window by the T (test) and C (control) signs. ¬The T band may be less intense (lighter) than the C line. This result means that the value of Prostate-Specifi c Antigen (PSA) in the blood is higher than normal, so you must consult a physician.

Negative: A coloured band appears only under the C (control) sign. This means that the value of Prostate-Specifi c Antigen (PSA) in the blood is normal. A negative result does not exclude the possibility of prostatic pathologies.

Non invalid result: No bands appear or there is a line only under the T (test) sign and not under the C (control) sign. In this case it is not possible to interpret the result of the test, which must be considered not valid. Repeat the test with a new blood sample.

Precautions
READ THE RESULT AFTER EXACTLY 5 MINUTES. The intensity of the line colour does not have any importance for the interpretation of the test result.

•Deposit 2 drops into the well indicated on the cassette, wait for 5 seconds between the first and second drop.
•The Prostate PSA Test can be performed at any time of the day, but in some cases it is advisable to wait for a specific period of time in order to avoid a false positive result.

*Read these instructions for use carefully before performing the test. The Test is reliable only if all the instructions are followed correctly.

Storage
Store in a dry place at a temperature between 4°C and 30°C. Do not freeze.

Kit includes
•Test cassette x 1
•Desiccant bag x 1
•Test diluent x 1
•Pipette x 1
•Sterile lancets x 1
•Antiseptic skin cleanser gauze x 1
•Instruction x 1