Metasis

[smokey 234]

I was diagnoses with invasive lobular breast cancer on May 18. The tumor was 2.3cm No lymph node involvement,no angiolymph involvement.  My oncologist is concerned because my liver phosphate (AK) are slightly elevated. SThey are 10 points elevated.  She ordered a bone scan and a cat scan.  My question is what could cause this elevation?  Does this mean the cancer has spread already?  Are there other causes?

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear smokey 234, I am assuming you mean the alkaline phosphatase level.  Alkaline phosphatase is an enzyme found in bone, liver as well as the intestine.  It can be elevated due to many benign (non-cancerous) causes such as fractures, certain infections, several medications, however it can also be elevated with malignancy.  Having an elevation in this level does not automatically mean that cancer has spread, it just raises a flag that should be checked out.

[surgeon]

lots of things can cause liver enzyme elevations: medications, alcohol, gallbladder trouble, hepatitis, etc, etc. A mild elevation of only one enzyme may not mean anything at all. The tests that have been ordered are the appropriate ones.

[smokey 234]

Have you seen liver enzyme get elevated and it did not mean the cancer has spread?  I'm hoping?

[surgeon]

As I said above, liver enzymes can be elevated for many reasons. So having elevated enzymes does not necessarily mean cancer has spread. It could be due to any number of other reasons.