What a high PSA can mean, and what it cannot
PSA is a protein made by the prostate. A rise can come with prostate cancer, and it can also come with an enlarged prostate, a recent infection, a long bike ride, or even the timing of the blood draw. The number on the report is a reason to come in. It is not, on its own, a cancer diagnosis, and we will say that clearly in the room.
Men in Sandy Springs, Buckhead, Brookhaven, and Dunwoody often arrive with a letter from a primary-care visit or a printout from a patient portal. We look at the current value, prior values if you have them, your age, your prostate size when we can measure it, and anything that might have nudged the number up. Then we talk about whether a repeat blood test, an MRI, or a biopsy is the step that actually answers the question in front of us.
Repeat testing, MRI, and biopsy, in the order that fits you
A repeat PSA, drawn when you have not just had a procedure or a fever, sometimes settles the first surprise. When the number stays up, or the pattern over time is what worries us, an MRI of the prostate can help us see whether a particular area deserves a closer look. A biopsy, when it is recommended, takes small samples of prostate tissue so a pathologist can examine them. We will explain how that day is planned, whether it happens at our Sandy Springs surgery center in the same building, and what to expect afterward, before anyone books it.
If you already had an MRI or a biopsy somewhere else, bring the report and, when you have it, the disc. We would rather build on work that is already done than start from a blank page.
When to see a urologist about a PSA
Come in when a new result is higher than you or your other clinician expected, when a number that was stable has begun to climb, or when you want a urologist to review a series of tests you already have. You can usually call us directly; a few insurers want a primary-care referral on file. Call 678-344-8900 and we will tell you the earliest opening we can offer at Johnson Ferry Road or, for a first conversation, at Irvin Way.
At Sandy Springs you may meet Vahan Kassabian, MD, who directs the Prostate Center; Herman Bagga, MD, FACS; or Marc Greenstein, DO. At Decatur, the official office page lists physician assistants on the on-site team, who work inside the same practice chart. If you want the first visit to be with a urologist, tell us when you book.
Vahan Kassabian, MDUrologist; Director of Prostate Center 
Herman Bagga, MD, FACSUrologic surgeon 
Marc Greenstein, DOUrological surgeon; Director, Surgery Center Sandy Springs
A talk from Dr. Kassabian you can watch before you come in
Dr. Vahan Kassabian, who sees patients at our Sandy Springs clinic, gave this official lunch-and-learn talk on prostate cancer. It is background, not a conclusion about your own PSA. The visit is where we fit the number you brought to your history and any prior tests.
Questions men ask after a high PSA result
Does an elevated PSA mean I have prostate cancer?
No. The number can rise for several reasons, and we will walk through those with you. Cancer is one of the possibilities we take seriously, which is why we may recommend another blood test, an MRI, or a biopsy, not because the first result has already decided the answer.
Will you do a biopsy on the first visit?
Usually not. The first appointment is a review of the result, your history, and any imaging you already have. If a biopsy is a reasonable next step, we will explain why, how we plan it, and how to prepare, then schedule that day separately.
What if I already had an MRI at another office?
Bring the report, and the disc if you have it. We will look at what was already seen before we recommend another study. Duplicating a recent MRI is not our starting move when the pictures can come with you.
Where is a biopsy done?
When we recommend a biopsy, we will tell you whether it is planned at the Sandy Springs Clinic & Surgery Center, 1450 S Johnson Ferry Road, or at another Advanced Urology surgery center. You go over the details, including how to get home afterward, at the visit when we schedule it.
Should I stop my usual medications before the blood test is repeated?
Do not change a prescription on the basis of this page. Bring the list to the visit, and we will tell you whether anything should be paused, and by whom, before a repeat PSA or a biopsy.
How is this visit different from the screening test at my regular doctor's office?
Your other clinician was right to flag the number. Our job is the next layer: putting the result next to your prostate, your prior values, and the tests that would actually change the plan, then staying with you if more steps are needed. See also prostate cancer care and what a first visit is like.
More detail on Advanced Urology's approach to a raised PSA is on the official prostate cancer page, which we share as context, not as a label for your current result.
What the video covers
On this Sandy Springs page the official video we link is titled Lunch and Learn with Dr. Vahan Kassabian about Prostate Cancer. This Sandy Springs summary stays with that public title and does not add other claims.