Abnormally high levels of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in a patient's blood is used to screen for prostatecancer. PSA is expressed in nomal, non-cancerous prostate cells.a) Why would elevated levels of PSA be suggestive of prostate cancer given what you know about cancer?Answer in no more than two sentences.b) Are high PSA levels sufficient to confim that a patient has prostate cancer, as opposed to a benign tumor?Why or why not? Explain in one sentence only.

The prostate gland is situated below the urinary bladder and is responsible for the production of seminal fluid. The risk factors associated with prostate cancer are old age (above 65 years), African American origin, and family history. The symptoms of prostate cancer include lower back pain, painful ejaculation, and problems in passing urine.The PSA (prostate-specific antigen), a serine protease, is synthesized by the prostatic tissue’s columnar epithelial cells. After synthesis, PSA crosses the basal cell layer, capillary endothelial cells, and membrane to reach the blood circulation. In the seminal fluid, PSA breaks down the proteins into smaller peptides to prevent its coagulation thereby facilitating its impregnation. The PSA is normally present in a small concentration in the blood. In the case of prostate cancer, the serum level of PSA is elevated and used as a diagnostic feature for the screening of prostate cancer. Prostate cancer originates in the glandular epithelial cells that line the prostate tissue. The glandular epithelial cells are cuboidal or columnar epithelial cells present in a 2D (two dimensional) sheet in which the free surface is exposed to the gland’s lumen. Since most of the prostate cancer cases arise from the glandular epithelial cells which synthesize PSA, the level of this antigen will be elevated in most prostate cancer types. This is because in cancer the glandular cells grow abnormally and will produce a large amount of PSA that will enter the circulation and cause elevated serum levels. An elevated level of PSA in the serum is indicative of prostate cancer. However, it can become high in several other non-cancerous conditions like benign prostatic hyperplasia, infection of the prostate tissue, and non-cancerous prostate enlargement. The PSA detection test is used for screening purposes. If PSA serum levels are higher it may indicate a cancerous as well as a non-cancerous or benign state. The physician will perform a rectal examination and biopsy to differentiate between cancer and tumor. Therefore, a high PSA level is not sufficient to confirm prostate cancer and rule out a benign tumor.