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Side Effect: Elevated Liver Function Tests (LFTS, transaminases)

What are Liver Function Blood Tests (also known as Transaminases)?

Liver function tests (LFTs) are a set of laboratory tests that measure the levels of certain enzymes and proteins in the blood that are produced by the liver. These tests typically include:

What does a change in Liver Function Blood Tests (also known as Transaminases) look like?

Who gets changes in Liver Function Blood Tests (also known as Transaminases)?

In patients receiving cancer treatment, there are many drugs that can damage the liver which can lead to changes in liver function tests. Examples of chemotherapy agents that can cause liver damage include:

How to prevent Changes in Liver Function Blood Tests (also known as Transaminases)

Preventing liver function changes in patients with cancer can be challenging. Ideally, patients should try to maintain a healthy lifestyle by:

Patients should be carefully screened before treatment to identify any risk factors that could increase the risk of developing elevated liver function tests. During treatment, patients should be monitoring closely for changes in liver function tests. If transaminases (LFTs) rise too high as a result of taking chemotherapy, your doctor may recommend holding the dose, decreasing the dose, or changing to an alternative treatment.

How to treat Changes in Liver Function Blood Tests (also known as Transaminases)

Treatment of elevated liver function tests in cancer patients depends on the underlying cause of liver dysfunction.

References

1. Lala V, Zubair M, Minter DA. Liver Function Tests. [Updated 2023 Jul 30]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2024 Jan-.

2. Mudd TW, Guddati AK. Management of hepatotoxicity of chemotherapy and targeted agents. Am J Cancer Res 2021;11(7):3461-3474.

Created: June 24, 2024 Updated: June 24, 2024