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Because of this relationship, alkaline phosphatase can help your healthcare provider determine whether or not your cancer has spread. How much alkaline phosphatase you have can be measured with a simple blood test. However, an elevated level of this enzyme does not automatically mean someone has cancer.
How Alkaline Phosphatase Relates to Cancer
Prostate cancer, when it spreads beyond the prostate, usually moves to the bones. The bones of the pelvis and spine are some of the most common areas prostate cancer spreads to. When prostate cancer or another cancer moves to the bones, bone, and tissue in the cancerous areas break down and release increased levels of alkaline phosphatase into the bloodstream.
Measuring how much alkaline phosphatase is in your blood can, therefore, help your healthcare provider determine whether or not prostate cancer has spread to the bones.
An elevated level of alkaline phosphatase does not necessarily mean that your cancer has spread to your bones. There are numerous other causes of a high alkaline phosphatase, but in a man already diagnosed with prostate cancer, a rising alkaline phosphatase is a worrisome sign.
A high alkaline phosphatase cannot tell your healthcare provider that your prostate cancer has definitely spread to the bones.Bone scans, CT scans, and other diagnostic tests are needed for this.
Getting Your Alkaline Phosphatase Level Checked
In addition to determining whether or not your cancer has metastasized, an abnormally high ALP can indicate gallbladder and liver problems such ashepatitis,cirrhosis,cholecystitis, or a blockage in your bile ducts.ALP can also help diagnose vitamin D deficiencies, infections, and other bone-related issues like Paget’s disease and osteomalacia. Low alkaline phosphatase may indicate malnutrition or be a sign that your body isn’t absorbing the nutrients it needs.
Checking your ALP level can also help determine howmedications and treatmentsare working or if a medication has the potential to negatively affect your liver.
If you are concerned about an elevated ALP level, speak with your healthcare provider and discuss your results. In most cases, further testing is needed to determine the cause of your elevated alkaline phosphatase level.
2 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li D, Lv H, Hao X, Hu B, Song Y.Prognostic value of serum alkaline phosphatase in the survival of prostate cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis.Cancer Manag Res. 2018;10:3125-3139. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S174237Siddique A, Kowdley KV.Approach to a patient with elevated serum alkaline phosphatase.Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(2):199-229. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2012.03.012Additional ReadingKumar: Robbins and Cotran: Pathologic Basis of Disease, 7th ed.
2 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Li D, Lv H, Hao X, Hu B, Song Y.Prognostic value of serum alkaline phosphatase in the survival of prostate cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis.Cancer Manag Res. 2018;10:3125-3139. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S174237Siddique A, Kowdley KV.Approach to a patient with elevated serum alkaline phosphatase.Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(2):199-229. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2012.03.012Additional ReadingKumar: Robbins and Cotran: Pathologic Basis of Disease, 7th ed.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Li D, Lv H, Hao X, Hu B, Song Y.Prognostic value of serum alkaline phosphatase in the survival of prostate cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis.Cancer Manag Res. 2018;10:3125-3139. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S174237Siddique A, Kowdley KV.Approach to a patient with elevated serum alkaline phosphatase.Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(2):199-229. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2012.03.012
Li D, Lv H, Hao X, Hu B, Song Y.Prognostic value of serum alkaline phosphatase in the survival of prostate cancer: evidence from a meta-analysis.Cancer Manag Res. 2018;10:3125-3139. doi:10.2147/CMAR.S174237
Siddique A, Kowdley KV.Approach to a patient with elevated serum alkaline phosphatase.Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16(2):199-229. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2012.03.012
Kumar: Robbins and Cotran: Pathologic Basis of Disease, 7th ed.
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