{
  "id": "psa-density",
  "version": "0a5570cff9db",
  "status": "published",
  "name": "PSA Density Calculator",
  "question": "What is my PSA density?",
  "summary": "Divides the serum PSA by the prostate volume to give the PSA density (PSAD) in ng/mL per mL, and compares it with the published 0.15 cut-off.",
  "category": "health",
  "subcategory": "clinical",
  "url": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/psa-density-calculator",
  "markdown": "https://www.acalculator.org/health/psa-density-calculator.md",
  "kind": "function",
  "method": "PSA density = serum PSA (ng/mL) ÷ prostate volume (mL), to 2 decimals. Cut-off 0.15 (Bazinet 1994).",
  "assumptions": [
    "The prostate volume comes from transrectal ultrasound or MRI, in mL (cc).",
    "The density is rounded once to 2 decimals, halves up, and the shown value is compared with 0.15."
  ],
  "inputs": {
    "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {
      "psa": {
        "title": "PSA (ng/mL)",
        "description": "Serum prostate-specific antigen, 0.01 to 1,000 ng/mL.",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 0.01,
        "maximum": 1000
      },
      "volume": {
        "title": "Prostate volume (mL)",
        "description": "Prostate volume from ultrasound or MRI, 5 to 500 mL (1 mL = 1 cc).",
        "type": "number",
        "minimum": 5,
        "maximum": 500
      }
    }
  },
  "outputs": {
    "psad": {
      "label": "PSA density (ng/mL per mL)",
      "description": "PSA ÷ prostate volume, to 2 decimals.",
      "format": "number"
    },
    "cutoff": {
      "label": "Against the 0.15 cut-off",
      "description": "Whether the PSA density shown is under 0.15 or 0.15 or more (Bazinet 1994).",
      "format": "text"
    }
  },
  "defaultAnswer": {
    "inputs": {
      "psa": 6,
      "volume": 40
    },
    "outputs": {
      "psad": 0.15,
      "cutoff": "0.15 or more"
    },
    "text": "The PSA density is 0.15 ng/mL per mL: 0.15 or more."
  },
  "examples": [
    {
      "given": {
        "psa": 6,
        "volume": 40
      },
      "expect": {
        "psad": 0.15,
        "cutoff": "0.15 or more"
      },
      "source": "Benson 1992: 6 ÷ 40 = 0.15, at the 0.15 cut-off (Bazinet 1994) (hand calculation in content.mdx)"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "psa": 8,
        "volume": 80
      },
      "expect": {
        "psad": 0.1,
        "cutoff": "Under 0.15"
      },
      "source": "8 ÷ 80 = 0.10 (hand calculation in content.mdx)"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "psa": 5.2,
        "volume": 35
      },
      "expect": {
        "psad": 0.15,
        "cutoff": "0.15 or more"
      },
      "source": "5.2 ÷ 35 = 0.14857, rounded to 0.15 (hand calculation in content.mdx)"
    },
    {
      "given": {
        "psa": 4.9,
        "volume": 35
      },
      "expect": {
        "psad": 0.14,
        "cutoff": "Under 0.15"
      },
      "source": "4.9 ÷ 35 = 0.14 (hand calculation in content.mdx)"
    }
  ],
  "sources": [
    "Benson MC, Whang IS, Pantuck A, et al. Prostate specific antigen density: a means of distinguishing benign prostatic hypertrophy and prostate cancer. J Urol. 1992;147(3 Pt 2):815-816. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0022-5347(17)37393-7 (retrieved 2026-10-05)",
    "Bazinet M, Meshref AW, Trudel C, et al. Prospective evaluation of prostate-specific antigen density and systematic biopsies for early detection of prostatic carcinoma. Urology. 1994;43(1):44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0090-4295(94)80260-2 (retrieved 2026-10-05)"
  ],
  "related": [
    "prostate-volume"
  ],
  "changelog": [
    {
      "date": "2026-10-05",
      "note": "Published after this site's editorial review against the cited sources (no clinician review); the page notices say so."
    }
  ]
}