Blood Tests for Liver Cancer and Liver Disease

Blood tests help doctors at the UPMC Liver Cancer Center determine:

• Your general health
• How well your liver works
• Whether you have been exposed, in the past, to hepatitis B or hepatitis C, and whether the hepatitis is active

Platelet Count

A platelet count can detect liver cancer in its early stages.

A white cell count below the normal range can be a sign of an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) and/or an increase in the blood pressure within the liver’s blood vessels (portal hypertension).

Blood Chemistries

Blood tests — known as blood chemistries — evaluate liver function, specifically:

• Albumin levels
• Blood creatinine levels
• Prothrombin time
• Transaminase levels (ALT, AST, GGTP)

Tumor Markers

Blood tests for specific tumor "markers" detect the presence of:

• Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP)
• Des-gamma-carboxy prothrombin (DCP or PIVKA-2)
• Neurotensin

DCP and neurotensin are markers (in the presence of a normal AFP) for the fibrolamellar variant of liver cancer, which often occurs in children.