ALP Values Wanted

[Bill]

For any of you that get routine blood tests ( incl. comprehensive metabolic panel ) or happen to have copies of your hospital records handy I'd appreciate hearing about your alkaline phosphatase ( ALP ) level(s). I'm particularly interested in hearing about ALP levels from those of you dx'd with bone mets. This request assumes that your liver function values are within normal limits.

Thanks much !

[BoBennett]

The guy that wrote this is John C. Ruckdeschel, MD Progessor of Medicine and Oncology and Director. H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute at the University of South Florida. I took it from a book called Myths & Facts about lung cancer.

“Test for Presumed Distant (Widespread ) Disease:

If the initial studies reveal that the patient may have

widespread disease, the most rapid and definitive

procedure should be performed to confirm this.

As part of the initial work-up, a set of blood tests

will be performed. One of them, the alkaline phos-

patase, is often a harbinger of spread to the liver

or bone liver is usually well visualized on the

CT scan of the chest. If the liver is normal on CT

Scan, but the alkaline phospatase, level is elevated,

A bone scan should be obtained, even if there are

no symptoms of spread to the bone.”

.

During active bone metastasis my ALP was elevated. There were liver issues but they fit within the scheme of the ALP bone and liver mets connection

No more bone mets, (at least active) my ALP is below 50 and has been since the bone mets and liver issues subsided.

Bo

[Bill]

During active bone metastasis my ALP was elevated. There were liver issues but they fit within the scheme of the ALP bone and liver mets connection

No more bone mets, (at least active) my ALP is below 50 and has been since the bone mets and liver issues subsided. Bo

Bo :

Congratulations ! This is very encouraging news. In fact, given your dx, I'd be downright elated. IMO, based on my wife's mountain of diagnostic testing & results, her ALP level has been one of the very few lab values that has consistently correlated well with her cancer condition. When she gets a comp. blood panel the ALP is the first value that I look for. Assuming that her liver function values are within normal limits, which they always are, her ALP has consistently been her best and most reliable marker. I have also read several clinical studies that ALP values ( specifically b-ALP ) correlate very well with bone cancer prognosis.

[Remembering Dave]

I've been curious about this ever since I read this post, since Dave has bone and liver mets. He had CBC done yesterday and last week a vial sent off to the lab, mostly to get his sodium level checked (which isn't part of the CBC check) but neither test lists the ALP. This is what we do have listed below. I think I know what each of these values represents but does anyone see anything that's related to the ALP here? It's really not that big a deal, I'm just curious

Also - Bill - what's the latest on your wife?

WBC

LYM

MID

GRAN

RBC

HGB

HCT

MCV

MCH

MCHC

RDW

PLT

Glucose

BUN

Creatinine

Sodium

Potassium

Chloride

Carbon Dioxide

Calcium

Thanks,Karen

[Bill]

I've been curious about this ever since I read this post, since Dave has bone and liver mets. He had CBC done yesterday and last week a vial sent off to the lab, mostly to get his sodium level checked (which isn't part of the CBC check) but neither test lists the ALP. This is what we do have listed below. I think I know what each of these values represents but does anyone see anything that's related to the ALP here? It's really not that big a deal, I'm just curious

Also - Bill - what's the latest on your wife?

WBC

LYM

MID

GRAN

RBC

HGB

HCT

MCV

MCH

MCHC

RDW

PLT

Glucose

BUN

Creatinine

Sodium

Potassium

Chloride

Carbon Dioxide

Calcium

Thanks,Karen

Karen :

The only thing that I can think of is that these blood tests can be ordered by many different names and combinations. The ALP is excluded from your combination. Your list looks like a composite of my wife's weekly CBC and monthly comp. metabolic panel. The ALP shows up on the comp. metabolic panel. Since Dave has bone mets I would encourage you to ask his dr. and / or the lab tech to change the panel to one that includes the ALP ( and also SGOT, SGPT ).

Good luck.