blood test query

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User

Posted 28 Apr 2023 at 17:33

Husband diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer about a year ago. Gleason score 9 but with only one metastasis in pelvis. Had radiotherapy and is on Enzalutamide and Prostap injections 3 monthly. Having 3 monthly follow up with oncology and 3 monthly blood tests. PSA has been reducing nicely and latest score was 0.73. All good so far.

He had some sciatica earlier in the year and the consultant did some extra blood tests. All was OK except his alkaline phosphatase was slightly raised. This was unexplained but consultant thought sciatica was probably due to degenerative change rather than mets. Just had latest blood test results and alkaline phosphatase still slightly raised. Again they don't seem too worried and said they will monitor it. I googled (yes I know !) and apparently raised alkaline phosphatase can be a sign of increased metastatic activity. Has anyone else had this happen and if so what caused it/what was the outcome?

User

Posted 02 May 2023 at 00:57

Raised ALP can be an indicator of increased bone met activity but it can be caused by other things as well. My Dad's ALP went sky high last year and the doctors told us to prepare for the worst but it turned out to be his liver and sorted itself out. It happened again in Feb this year and the cause turned out to be a problem with his gall bladder.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 05 May 2023 at 15:01

Thanks for reply, I did read it can be caused by other things as well, but of course we all worry don't we? I would be surprised if it was due to bone met activity really when the PSA is so low, but I don't know if this is possible. Can you have a low/reducing PSA and still have increased bone met activity and hence raised ALP? I am rapidly learning about all this stuff, but my knowledge is still limited. I had assumed that if the PSA is still going/staying down then all is well but maybe I am wrong (hopefully not).

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