Based on PSA velocity over 18 weeks, which statement best describes the data?

Based on PSA velocity over 18 weeks, which statement best describes the data?

• A. Patient A may have a more aggressive prostate cancer based on the velocity of these measurements.
• B. Patient A is most likely to have benign prostate cancer.
• C. Patient B is most likely to be experiencing an inflammatory reaction and this is largely contributing to the elevated PSA above 100 ng/mL.
• D. Patient B may have a more aggressive prostate cancer based on the velocity of these measurements.

Answer: (D)

PSA velocity—the rate at which PSA changes over time—tells you more about cancer behavior than a single PSA value. Over 18 weeks, if one patient shows a noticeably steeper rise in PSA than the other, that faster trajectory suggests a higher likelihood of aggressive prostate cancer in that patient. An inflammatory process can raise PSA, but it typically does not produce a sharp, sustained increase over several months in the same pattern as a rapidly growing cancer. So the data best support that the patient with the greater PSA velocity may have more aggressive disease.

PSA velocity—the rate at which PSA changes over time—tells you more about cancer behavior than a single PSA value. Over 18 weeks, if one patient shows a noticeably steeper rise in PSA than the other, that faster trajectory suggests a higher likelihood of aggressive prostate cancer in that patient. An inflammatory process can raise PSA, but it typically does not produce a sharp, sustained increase over several months in the same pattern as a rapidly growing cancer. So the data best support that the patient with the greater PSA velocity may have more aggressive disease.