What is the pca3 test?

New Cancer Test: The prostate cancer antigen-3 (pca3) test (awaiting approval by the food and drug administration) measures urine levels of the genetic material mrna. High levels of pca3 indicate an increased risk of cancer, and the results of a pca3 test can add reliability to those of a psa test to reduce false positives. Pca3 is available through some labs and can be done if the psa is elevated.

Prostate test.: It is a test that looks for gene products of prostate cancer in the urine. Higher levels are associated with prostate ca. It is used in conjunction with rectal exam, psa, imaging, etc to help refine the "guesstimate" of the likelihood of cancer. It is not routinely drawn.