PMR and PSA

[FrancisEmmy]

Can pmr increase psa?

[HeronNS]

This is a question I believe you should ask your doctor as PMR itself could be a symptom of something more serious which would be the cause of the raised PSA. PMR is the diagnosis we get once everything else has been ruled out, because the PMR-like pain and disability is also found as a symptom of a number of other conditions, all of which would need treatment differing from what a typical PMR patient will receive.

Hope you find out soon Good luck! 🍀

[SID3]

Doctors say no, but mine did rise early in my PMR/pred journey only to subside later to within normal limits for age. Could be coincidence of course. An MRI provided reassurance - insist on getting one, and six monthly PSA tests, even though they are not very reliable indicators of cancer.

[pmr_nikola]

yes it can. Mine was high before PMR so it was monitored every 6 months or so. After being diagnosed with PMR in December I had PSA test in January and it doubled and it stayed at very high level and never went back to pre-PMR level. It is good idea to do high field MRI (3Tesla), because high field gets better resolution then average 1.5T. Prostate scans are very hard so it is also helpful to use contrast too.

Having said that, PSA number is NOT an indication of prostate cancer; it is more reflection of the size of the prostate. I would not be concern unless you have steady increase of PSA number over time.

[AtopicGuy]

The risk of PMR and the prevalence of high PSA levels both increase rapidly with age beyond 50. Therefore we should expect some correlation. Correlation is not causation. Prostate-specific antigen is made in the prostate gland. Treatments for PMR can sometimes improve, and sometimes worsen prostate symptoms. That doesn't mean the conditions are directly connected.

[PMRpro Ambassador]

academic.oup.com/rheumatolo...

Describes a couple of cases where prostate cancer presented looking like PMR. Both aspects need to be investigated properly.