What does “PSMA” stand for?

PSMA means “prostate-specific membrane antigen” and refers to a transmembrane protein that is expressed in all prostatic tissues, including prostate cancer tissues (prostate carcinoma).  PSMA may rarely also be expressed in other cancers as well.  PSMA PET scans have therefore been shown to be highly accurate in detecting prostate cancer recurrence and in detecting metastatic disease in newly diagnosed men with high-risk disease.