Prostate-Specific Antigen Test Health Article

KEY TERMS

Antibody—A substance formed in the body in reaction to some foreign material invading the body, or sometimes to diseased body tissue such as prostate cancer. An antibody also may be prepared in the laboratory and used to measure the amount of antigen in the blood.

Antigen—Either a foreign substance such as a virus or bacterium, or a protein produced by diseased or injured body tissue.

Biopsy—A procedure using a hollow needle to obtain a small sample of tissue, such as from the prostate. Often done to determine whether cancer is present.

BPH—Benign prostatic hyperplasia, a noncancerous disorder that causes the prostate to enlarge.