What do elevated liver enzymes indicate?

norrie · Veteran Joined: 16 Sep 2005 Posts: 513

My father had the blood test results yesterday and it showed elevated liver enzymes. I am curious now What do elevated liver enzymes indicate? He has lost a lot of weight lately and was constantly complaining over the right upper abdominal pain. Than the physical exam showed there so some mass on that abdominal area and now this blood result with elevated liver enzymes and I don't know if it is important but he was abusing alcohol though he never was an alcoholic.

lauritz · Gold Member Joined: 17 Jun 2003 Posts: 364

Well I am sorry to tell this but I don't think that prognoses with such symptoms and with that kind of results could be positive. Usually having elevated liver enzymes indicate liver cancer that has been developed from cirrhosis which is again most common in persons that are abusing alcohol so the cirrhosis by the time damages the liver so badly that its tissue is about to get covered by cancer cells. On the other hand elevated liver enzymes might also indicate that there's what is called secondary liver cancer as a result of cancer metastases meaning it isn't related to a cirrhosis or some other liver disease such as hepatitis B or C. Anyway whatever the cancer is originating in your father's case I think he needs urgent medical care that usually is consisting of chemotherapy and in some cases radiotherapy. Usually after getting such blood results-elevated liver enzymes-than usually ultrasound, CT or MRI scan is recommended so the specialist could practically see what is the concrete problem and than according the diagnose determined the proper treatment could be provided.

What do elevated liver enzymes indicate?

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