Elevated AST and ALT Liver Enzymes

[Cindee]

I had blood work done on 09-05-06 and results came back AST-54 with ref interval of 15-37 and ALT-85 with ref interval of 85. The blood work then was repeated on 09-20-06 with the results of AST-88 and ALT- 97 with same ref intervals as before. I am going this Wednesday for adominable c-scan but I am so scared and I was wondering if anybody had similar problem and what their prognosis was.

Thanks Cindee

[Barbara H.]

Mine were elevated six weeks ago and my oncologist said that Navelbine can cause them to elevate. They did return to normal three weeks ago.
Best wishes,
Barbara

[chrisy]

Hi Cindee,
AST is normally found in a diversity of tissues including liver, heart, MUSCLE, kidney, and brain and is released into the bloodstream when any one of these tissues is damaged. It is not a highly specific indicator of livery injury.

ALT is a fairly specific indicator of liver status, but elevation of this enzyme could be caused by medications, alcohol, or exposure to toxins. It's hard not to think the worst, but there could be other causes.

So your elevated AST and ALT enzymes do merit additional testing, which you are getting, to find out what the problem is. You need more information, so try not to worry too much while you are waiting for it. I know this is MUCH more easily said than done:)

FYI, when I was diagnosed with extensive liver mets in 9/04, my ALT and AST were both very comfortably within the normal range...and those numbers climbed as the tumors shrunk with chemo!

So, you don't know what these numbers mean! Maybe nothing - and I hope that your CT scan confims this.

Don't forget to breathe...

take care,
Chris

[Cindee]

Thanks for your support and reply! I know that you know that it is hard not to worry! I have not been on herciptin because my onc says that my heart damage from the adramycin would not support it. I am not comfortable waiting for the other shoe to drop and am in the process of trying to get an appt. @ M. D. Anderson. My concerns are of course mets of the liver and then I read that one woman talked about shoulder pain. I had a herniated disk about 5yrs ago and had a neck fusion and this in my shoulder is inflammation and runs down my back it nearly takes my breathe away. I hope that it is nothing of course but without any follow up drug your imagination tends to run amuck.

Thanks Cindee