Elevated liver enzymes following radiation

Others will jump with their experience about SBRT, I just want to say that in the meantime you should be gentle with your liver - NO alcohol, no Tylenol or other liver effecting medications, low fat diet and perhaps some supplements that are beneficial for liver.
Wishing you fast recovery < 3

Thank you -- good advice to follow. I purchased a TUDCA supplement today which I believe should offer some liver support.

For your liver, supplements like NAC (N-acetyl cysteine), or a very good glutathione (like s-acetyl glutathione at 300 mg with few fillers) are good. NAC is less expensive usually but they work almost the same, some articles say the NAC is better, other articles say s-acetyl glutathione is better - so take your pick on that.

If you want a tea, try Burdock tea, really good for liver and tastes good too. Very inexpensive too.

Kenk1962, along with your radiation I'm guessing you're on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

I believe ADT can cause elevated liver enzymes. It did in my case...

Before radiation, I started ADT (Orgovyx) 20January2024. Three weeks later my ALT had jumped from 59 to 117.

In March2024 I completed HDR Brachytherapy and 5 sessions SBRT. That is, my ALT jumped before radiation therapy began.

Fortunately, my ALT slowly declined to near-normal during my year on ADT. And 3 months after stopping ADT, my ALT was back to normal at 63.

Best wishes.

The good news is, the liver can regenerate and repair itself.

That's why my doctors weren't overly concerned by my ALT jump during my treatment.

Of course it's important to monitor your progress. In my case that means blood tests every 3 months.

I had elevated bilirubin, AST and ALT not caused by radiation, it was a result of the Zytiga I was on. They pulled it and a week latter I started a lower dose. Since then things have stabilized. All the best to you on your journey…

I don't know about a causal link between radiation treatment and elevated liver enzymes. I do know last year my wife's liver enzymes hit almost 1000 for no reason.

Blood tests, lever cancer screens, and a liver biopsy showed nothing. Her levels returned to normal and liver MD said "sometimes the enzymes just go up...and we never know why". My wife's liver enzymes have been normal ever since - thank God.

Best MD could guess was something she ate or came in contact with drove her enzymes through the roof for a short period of time. I think MDs call these "idiopathic" conditions with no known cause

This true story might be reassuring to you...might not?

Good luck

Thank you. I've heard about NAC in the past and will check into it. I'm always looking for helpful medicinal teas too and will find some Burdock to try.

Yes, I'm a reluctant member of the ADT fraternity club. There are so many unpleasant ADT side effects, but I hadn't previously heard about liver enzymes becoming compromised. Just when a person thinks they have read all there is on ADT difficulties I'm humbled to learn of another side effect.

Now that you mention that and have obviously experienced the climb in your own ALT levels, I suspect ADT is likely the culprit for me. I also received a response from my radiation oncologist this morning asserting SBRT prostate radiation should not impact liver enzymes. I see this is consistent with your experience too.

Thank you. I appreciate your follow-up and details.

Certainly is good news on the ability of the liver to regenerate. We need all the help we can get. Thanks!