Suck on THAT, cancer!
So how much do YOU know about liver function values?
Here at the Stacey Report, we pride ourselves in knowing every single thing about liver function values. Also we fly. And poop pixie dust.
So we had to look up all this stuff and now distill it unto you:
Liver function values are the values that one obtains when one performs liver function tests on Stacey’s liver (well, and yours too, but are you having liver function tests today? No you are not. So sit down and listen.) In Liver Function Value Land, up is BAD, down is GOOD.
<all kinds of potentially boring science-y stuff>
There are two values we care about; they’re both enzymes made in the liver, also called transaminases (as in, amino acids):
- SGPT (aka ALT, Alanine aminotransferace. What SGPT astands for, and why they don’t just call this ALT, I do not know.) This one appears in other places in the body too.
- SGOT (aka AST Aspartate aminotransferace. see above, re: wtf?) This enzyme is found in the liver only.
The liver uses this stuff to metabolize; when liver cells are damaged or dying, the enzymes leak into the bloodstream, so more enzymes in bloodstream = higher liver function value = BAD. More enzymes being used efficiently in the liver = lower liver function value = GOOD. You with me?
The normal range of ALT is between 5 and 60 IU/L (international units per liter).
The normal range of AST is between 5 & 43 IU/L.
The numbers aren’t proof of disease, they’re just indicators that indicate indications of disease, but they’ve proven to be reliably indicative.
Learn More!
- Liver function stuff: http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ca15_3/glance.html (look for “Measuring Liver Enzymes)
- Tumor marker stuff: http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/ca15_3/glance.html.
</all kinds of potentially boring science-y stuff>
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OK, so here’s the report from Stacey by way of TFDB:
Before starting on Navelbine…
(snork snork, Naval Bean! snork)
You are a fourth grader. ANYway… before starting on Navelbine my level was 30. Last week it was down to 20.
(remember, up is BAD, down is GOOD)
That was after only 3 rounds of the Navelbine. I confirmed with TFDB that it was not just good, it was “jumping-up-and-down” good.
Suck on THAT, cancer!
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Suck on that, cancer. Suck on that indeed.
The Stacey Report 
Dear Blogstress,
You seem to have confused SGOT and SGPT (the liver function stuff, which has indeed come down) with CA 15-3 (the tumor marker test, which is the one that came down from 30 to 20). It’s almost as if something more important and suckish were going on in your life. I wonder what that could be.
Z (who thinks this week is for the birds)
That’s awesome! My favorite part (besides the good levels):
“(snork snork, Naval Bean! snork)
You are a fourth grader. ANYway…”
LOL