Get tested with Superpower

If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone. Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over 100 biomarkers, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Free testing

• Clarifies whether elevated total PSA is more likely benign or concerning.
• Helps distinguish prostate cancer risk from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
• Guides decisions on whether prostate biopsy is needed.
• Reduces unnecessary biopsies when free PSA percentage is reassuringly high.
• Tracks prostate health trends over time alongside total PSA levels.
• Best interpreted with total PSA, age, symptoms, and digital rectal exam findings.

What is Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Free?

Free PSA is the unbound form of prostate-specific antigen, a protein produced almost exclusively by cells in the prostate gland. PSA exists in the bloodstream in two forms: attached to carrier proteins or circulating freely. Free PSA refers specifically to the fraction that floats independently, unattached to other molecules.

The prostate makes PSA to help liquefy semen after ejaculation, but small amounts naturally leak into the blood. Free PSA becomes particularly important in distinguishing between different prostate conditions. Benign prostate tissue tends to release more free PSA relative to bound PSA, while cancerous tissue typically produces less. This difference in the ratio between free and total PSA helps clinicians assess the nature of prostate changes when total PSA levels are elevated.

Free PSA reveals the prostate's molecular fingerprint

The proportion of free versus bound PSA acts like a signature. It reflects the type of tissue activity happening inside the gland, offering clues beyond what total PSA alone can provide.

Why is Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Free important?

Free PSA measures the portion of prostate-specific antigen circulating unbound in the bloodstream, offering crucial insight into whether elevated total PSA stems from benign prostate growth or possible malignancy. This biomarker is relevant only for men and becomes particularly valuable after age 50, when prostate changes are common. The free-to-total PSA ratio helps distinguish cancer risk from benign conditions affecting the gland.

When the ratio climbs higher

A higher percentage of free PSA - typically above 25% - suggests benign prostatic hyperplasia rather than cancer. Men with elevated total PSA but a reassuring free PSA ratio often experience urinary frequency, weak stream, or nighttime waking due to gland enlargement compressing the urethra. This pattern reflects non-cancerous tissue expansion that disrupts bladder emptying without signaling malignancy.

When the ratio drops lower

A lower free PSA percentage - below 10 to 15% - raises concern for prostate cancer, as malignant cells produce more bound PSA. This finding prompts further evaluation, including imaging or biopsy. Men may have no symptoms early on, though advanced disease can cause bone pain, blood in urine, or pelvic discomfort as cancer spreads beyond the prostate capsule.

The bigger picture

Free PSA refines cancer detection, reducing unnecessary biopsies while catching aggressive disease earlier. It connects prostate health to urinary function, sexual well-being, and systemic inflammation. Long-term, this biomarker guides surveillance strategies that balance early intervention with quality of life, shaping outcomes for aging men navigating prostate disease risk.

What do my Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), Free results mean?

Low free PSA percentage

Low values usually reflect a higher proportion of PSA bound to proteins rather than circulating freely. When total PSA is elevated, a low percentage of free PSA (typically below 10 to 15 percent) suggests a greater likelihood that prostate tissue changes are related to malignancy rather than benign enlargement. This pattern occurs because cancerous prostate cells tend to produce more PSA that binds to carrier proteins in the blood.

Optimal free PSA percentage

Being in range suggests that the balance between free and bound PSA is consistent with benign prostate conditions when total PSA is mildly elevated. A free PSA percentage above 25 percent generally indicates lower probability of malignancy and supports the presence of benign prostatic hyperplasia or inflammation. This ratio helps clarify the meaning of borderline total PSA elevations.

High free PSA percentage

High values usually reflect a greater proportion of unbound PSA in circulation, which is more characteristic of benign prostate enlargement or prostatitis. When free PSA exceeds 25 to 30 percent of total PSA, the likelihood of cancer decreases substantially, though it does not eliminate the possibility entirely.

Factors that influence free PSA

Free PSA percentage is most useful when total PSA is between 4 and 10 ng/mL. Recent prostate manipulation, urinary tract infection, and ejaculation can temporarily alter the ratio. Age does not significantly affect the percentage itself, though total PSA rises with age.