Rheumatism

Elevated CRP levels are often measured in people who suffer from rheumatism or chronic inflammation of the joints. However, the determination of the CRP value does not serve to diagnose a rheumatic disease, so an elevated measured value alone does not indicate the presence of rheumatism. There are clearly defined criteria that must be met in order to make the diagnosis.

However, depending on its level, the CRP value can then be used to assess the severity of an inflammatory reaction. In addition, in the course of rheumatism, an increase in the CRP value can indicate an acute flare-up of the disease. If an initially elevated CRP value in a person with rheumatism drops again in the course of the disease, this can be the confirmation of the effectiveness of an initiated therapy.

Tumor/Cancer

Increased CRP values are caused by malignant tumors or cancer, among other things. However, cancers are only a fraction of the causes of elevated CRP values. It is primarily a value that increases with inflammation.

An elevated CRP value alone therefore does not justify the suspicion that cancer is present. The physician will investigate the cause of the elevated CRP level on the basis of his examination and, if necessary, further diagnostics. Even if this is initially unclear, it is not necessary to immediately think of a tumor as the cause.

If, however, there are symptoms in addition to an elevated CRP value that could indicate the presence of a tumor, it is advisable to clarify this. These include, for example, a pronounced unintentional weight loss or if there is blood in the stool. Click here for the main article: CRP value in cancer

Leukemia

Elevated CRP values are initially not a typical finding in the blood disease leukemia. In people who suffer from leukemia, the immune system is often weakened, so that an increase in CRP is often more unlikely. On the other hand, an increased or rising CRP value in the presence of leukemia can indicate the presence of an inflammation. Due to the limited immune defence system, people with leukaemia are often at greater risk of infection than otherwise healthy people. An increased CRP value in leukemia patients should therefore be taken seriously and further clarification should be carried out if necessary.Learn more here: How to recognize leukemia?