Hello everyone. Do most people here have an LD... - CLL Support
Hello everyone. Do most people here have an LDH test as part of their blood test?
Hi Adam, I must confess to not knowing before you asked what LDH is so I've taken the liberty of finding out and posting this for others who may not know (or maybe it's just me?).
Is this felt to be a vital test for monitoring CLL progression? I don't think it forms a part of my blood test and I'm now wondering whether it should? Advice welcomed.
lactate dehydrogenase (LDH)
LDH is a protein that normally appears throughout the body in small amounts. Many cancers can raise LDH levels, so it is not useful in identifying a specific kind of cancer. Measuring LDH levels can be helpful in monitoring treatment for cancer. Noncancerous conditions that can raise LDH levels include heart failure, hypothyroidism, anemia, and lung or liver disease.
Newdawn
Hello Newdawn, I have just recently been diagnosed (last September) and on the 3 occasions that I have had a blood test LDH has been written in the additional test box. I have also looked LDH on an internet search but I was wondering if this was the norm for other members. It is used for detecting Richer's transformation and other cancers.
Adam
Hi Adam,
I had my LDH level noted in my first 3 blood tests after diagnosis, the last in July 2010, when it was 525. The 'normal' range is 313 - 618. I downloaded a spreadsheet from the CLL support Assn which gives very detailed info on all blood components and on which I record all my results.
Mikey
LDH is used in a Richter's situation...but my LDH on Richter's diagnosis was within normal ranges...so once again we are all different...
In CLL oly about 10% ever have raised levels, so it is used in the U.S. more than other places... may be useful but certainly not universal...
On the one occassion I had my LDH levels recorded, they were just outside the 'normal' range so I emailed Dr Terry Hamblin to ask his advice.
As always, he was more than willing to help but did say that there were so many various reasons for a raised LDH, that it would be impossible to say what the cause was without knowing my full history. He suggested I speak to my Consultant who reassuringly said that even though they were slightly out of the normal range, there was nothing at this stage to be concerned about. I have not had them repeated since and I remain well.
Jo
Many thanks for all your responses. It's good to get some constructive feedback. At this early stage, 3 months is a long time until my next visit.
Best wishes,
Adam
These tests show a difference between 'socialized' medicine like we have in the UK, Canada, Australia etc, and the U.S. 'profit' based system. People make money from a multitude of tests, so there is a stronger incentive to order a test if an insurer will pay for it.
How valuable the test is, can be rather vague. So you will tend to see much more testing run in the U.S. than other countries, where it tends to be done, 'if required.' I don't want to get into a debate about differences in healthcare system or into any comparisons, just be aware that not all tests are useful CLINICALLY...another case in point is B2M...used in the U.S. ... rarely outside.
When I had my bloods checked in October my LDH level was 321 and I note that I have to get level checked again in February a week before my hospital appointment. As well as CLL I do have an under active thyroid.
