Liver cancer often develops in damaged livers; therefore, health care providers use liver function tests (LFTs) to understand how well your liver is working before starting any treatment for liver cancer. These tests measure levels of certain substances in your blood, including:
- AST (aspartate aminotransferase) - AST is an enzyme found in large amounts in the liver and other parts of the body. High levels of AST in the blood can be a sign of liver damage.
- ALT (alanine aminotransferase) - ALT is an enzyme found mainly in the liver. Consistently high levels of ALT in the blood can be a sign of liver inflammation (swelling) or damage.