› Forums › General Melanoma Community › Lab mistake on yearly liver tests? Does this happen?
- This topic has 12 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 12 years, 8 months ago by
Erica A.
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- August 7, 2011 at 7:14 pm
My husband is Stage IV, NED 6+ years now. Only follow-up treatment he has these days are yearly liver panels and a chest x-ray. Oncologist called last week that his liver panel came back abnormal – they are going to retest and said not to worry because they think it's probably a lab error. Hmmm. As a stage IV cancer patient we are used to some bumps in the road that turn out to be nothing, but have never had a lab error anywhere else – does this really happen? Has this happened to anyone else? Trying not to worry, but obviously a little concerned
My husband is Stage IV, NED 6+ years now. Only follow-up treatment he has these days are yearly liver panels and a chest x-ray. Oncologist called last week that his liver panel came back abnormal – they are going to retest and said not to worry because they think it's probably a lab error. Hmmm. As a stage IV cancer patient we are used to some bumps in the road that turn out to be nothing, but have never had a lab error anywhere else – does this really happen? Has this happened to anyone else? Trying not to worry, but obviously a little concerned. Thanks – Erica
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- August 7, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Hi Erica. Rest easy, this just happened to Dave on Wednesday. A PET 2 weeks ago showed no mel in the liver. Bloodwork on Wednesday showed abnormal liver panel, but when redone on Thursday it was normal. I don't know how it happens, but it does.
Congrats on the 6+ years NED – I hope you both get many more!
Maria
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- August 7, 2011 at 7:46 pm
Hi Erica. Rest easy, this just happened to Dave on Wednesday. A PET 2 weeks ago showed no mel in the liver. Bloodwork on Wednesday showed abnormal liver panel, but when redone on Thursday it was normal. I don't know how it happens, but it does.
Congrats on the 6+ years NED – I hope you both get many more!
Maria
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- August 7, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Mine were way off a few months ago. Ended up being a drug interaction between my cholesteral meds and an antibiotic. They told me to get off of the cholesteral meds and no tylenol till I was retested a week later (by that time the antibiotic was out of my system). Numbers came down. Took another time to get back to normal. I've since talked to others that it's taken them several months to get to normal.
I hope it's either an error or something like mine.
When this scare is over you need to post your husbands status to give positive thoughts to others.
Linda
Stage IV since 06, NED 10 weeks
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- August 7, 2011 at 9:12 pm
Mine were way off a few months ago. Ended up being a drug interaction between my cholesteral meds and an antibiotic. They told me to get off of the cholesteral meds and no tylenol till I was retested a week later (by that time the antibiotic was out of my system). Numbers came down. Took another time to get back to normal. I've since talked to others that it's taken them several months to get to normal.
I hope it's either an error or something like mine.
When this scare is over you need to post your husbands status to give positive thoughts to others.
Linda
Stage IV since 06, NED 10 weeks
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- August 7, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Yep. That makes it four for four on the retest.
Is it a lab error, or are one of the test numbers high? I would guess "abnormal" means one of the numbers are high.
There are many liver tests. Was it a standard liver panel? If so, which one(s) are high? And how high are the numbers?
Yes, I would first repeat the tests.
As already stated, there are many reasons that can cause elevated liver enzymes.
Most medications can cause an elevation of liver enzymes. Common ones include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, antiepileptic drugs, and antituberculous drugs.
Alcohol can transiently elevate liver enzymes as well.
Since medications and alcohol can elevate liver enzymes – make sure that any medications he is taking are not the culprit. If he drinks alcohol, he should abstain and then repeat the test.
I also see from your profile that your husband is NED due to Bio-chemo which consisted of Dacarbazine, Vinblastine, Cisplatin, IL-2, Interferon, and GM-CSF.
Perhaps you can offer some up some encouragement and on this board since there are several newbies that have shown up in the last month or so.
Michael
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- August 7, 2011 at 10:43 pm
Yep. That makes it four for four on the retest.
Is it a lab error, or are one of the test numbers high? I would guess "abnormal" means one of the numbers are high.
There are many liver tests. Was it a standard liver panel? If so, which one(s) are high? And how high are the numbers?
Yes, I would first repeat the tests.
As already stated, there are many reasons that can cause elevated liver enzymes.
Most medications can cause an elevation of liver enzymes. Common ones include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, antiepileptic drugs, and antituberculous drugs.
Alcohol can transiently elevate liver enzymes as well.
Since medications and alcohol can elevate liver enzymes – make sure that any medications he is taking are not the culprit. If he drinks alcohol, he should abstain and then repeat the test.
I also see from your profile that your husband is NED due to Bio-chemo which consisted of Dacarbazine, Vinblastine, Cisplatin, IL-2, Interferon, and GM-CSF.
Perhaps you can offer some up some encouragement and on this board since there are several newbies that have shown up in the last month or so.
Michael
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- August 7, 2011 at 11:39 pm
He isn't having any symptoms so now that I have heard that this isn't so odd – I feel a lot better. Doctor called to report results and ordered the retest all in one day (friday) and put a rush on the bloodwork, so we should know tomorrow or Tuesday…. I was just getting nervous. We didn't ask which test is was since we tend to research it and worry more, after years and years of this we have just decided to wait it out without the extra internet time (except for me on this board I guess!)
I do try to post his NED anniversaries since I am all too aware of how desperate you can be as a stage IV for people who have a durable remission. But I did miss posting this year and will per suggestion. Thanks all who answered. Erica
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- August 7, 2011 at 11:39 pm
He isn't having any symptoms so now that I have heard that this isn't so odd – I feel a lot better. Doctor called to report results and ordered the retest all in one day (friday) and put a rush on the bloodwork, so we should know tomorrow or Tuesday…. I was just getting nervous. We didn't ask which test is was since we tend to research it and worry more, after years and years of this we have just decided to wait it out without the extra internet time (except for me on this board I guess!)
I do try to post his NED anniversaries since I am all too aware of how desperate you can be as a stage IV for people who have a durable remission. But I did miss posting this year and will per suggestion. Thanks all who answered. Erica
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