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liver question

me2
me2 CSN Member Posts: 20
edited March 2014 in Breast Cancer #1
My liver count was higher than usual so my doctor is having me come back in a month to check it again. I was wondering what anyone could tell me. Should I be worried or is this normal?
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  • inkblot
    inkblot CSN Member Posts: 698
    #2
    Hi me2:

    I so hate it when our doctor's just throw something out at us and don't elaborate at all.

    Are you currently having chemo? I'm not sure what your liver "count" means or if it's the same thing as "enzymes".

    As I understand it, chemo can elevate our liver enzymes. It can also result in various degrees of fatty liver. According to my doctor, a mild fatty liver, due to chemo, is nothing serious and typically isn't progressive and doesn't require any treatment.

    That's about the extent of my understanding re the liver and chemo. Many other drugs can also effect the liver adversely, such as Lipitor, etc. as you probably know. Since everything entering our bodies is metabolized by the liver, it makes sense that almost any drug could potentially have an effect on it's function.

    If you go to: www.merckmanual.com and choose the Diagnosis and Treatment manual, you'll be able to find general info about the liver and maybe that will give you some better insight into what you doctor is looking at/for. Of course, asking your doctor is the only way to know for sure what his thoughts are abour your numbers. In addition to researching it, I'd advise ringing him/her up and pointedly asking for an explanation. Maybe better than wondering and worrying until your next visit.

    Hoping someone else here may have had a similar experience to share or can offer more suggestions.

    Love, light and laughter,
    Ink
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  • DeeNY711
    DeeNY711 CSN Member Posts: 476 Member
    #3
    My liver function tests went kerfluey following surgery when an infection developed. They started to return to normal, but then chemotherapy sent them rocketing. Had an ultrasound just to make sure nothing was visualized. I thought that a waste of time. The breast cancer never showed up on ultrasound. Anyway, my LFTs came back to normal 7 months after chemo. Hope this helps.
    Love,
    Denise
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