Questions About Blood Work Test Results and Kidney Function

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DivineMrsM
DivineMrsM Member Posts: 9,620
edited August 2017 in Stage IV/Metastatic Breast Cancer ONLY

What happens when you get different blood test results from different facilities?

I have a ct and bone scan next week in Pittsburgh. So I had bloodwork this week at my local facility, for creatinine and Estimated GFR and BUN.

BUN came back normal. The creatinine results came back flagged high. GFR results were flagged low. I see a pattern from this local blood draw.

I get zometa every three months in Pittsburgh, I get bloodwork done then. For similar time periods, the blood work comes back normal.


****Test results from local facility:

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****Test results for similar time periods from Pittsburgh hospital:

image

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The Pittsburgh hospital & doctor's office has a far better reputation for medical care. But I worry that they will cancel scans due to local facility blood work results.

What do you make of these results? Looking at them, how concerned should I be about my kidney function? I don't know what to think.

For the past two months, I've been walking almost daily and watching what I eat. I have lost 7 or 8 lbs. Would this influence bloodwork?

I've been on zometa for six years. Is it affecting my kidneys? What should I be asking my oncologist about when I see her next week? Can anyone please advise?


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  • melmcbee
    melmcbee Member Posts: 1,119
    edited August 2017

    Divine I am a ct tech and those labs are nothing to worry y about. I wiuld call the place you get your scans and tell tthem the info. They may make you do new bloodwork. It looks like dehydration. At my hospital our normal range gies up to 1.5 for creatinine. Different places have different ranges. Yours does not look like kidney damage. Hugs.

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  • Kandy
    Kandy Member Posts: 1,461
    edited August 2017

    I agree with melmcbee, they do not look concerning to me either. Where I worked at, we would still scan you. But like she said above, different facilities have enough different parameters. The only advice I have is just try to push more liquids. As far as different results from different places, you would have to have lab work done at the same time at each facility to know if there really is a difference between the 2 labs. Kidney functions change from day to day. Just drink more water and relax. Best wishes to you.

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  • cive
    cive Member Posts: 709
    edited August 2017

    Agree #3.  If I get a little dehydrated just a little same thing happens.

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  • DivineMrsM
    DivineMrsM Member Posts: 9,620
    edited August 2017

    Thanks, mel, Kandy and cive. I so appreciate your insight into the numbers on the bloodwork which has helped me to quit freaking out about this. I will let you know how the scans go.

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  • Beatmon
    Beatmon Member Posts: 1,562
    edited August 2017

    Dear Divine MissM, I was a dialysis nurse for 40 years. Your creatinine is fine. We would worry if you were 90 and had a creatinine of 1.5_ 2 because more elderly cannot tolerate the increase in blood urea nitrogen.

    But, I would point out to your oncologist or specialist the differences in the lab values. Remember gfr is a calculation. Saying all of this I assume you have normal blood pressure,normal urine output and no swelling.

    My creatinine bounces between .9 and 1.0. I'm 65 with well controlled hypertension so I do watch my creatinine because many docs don't until the kidneys have become damaged. That is how the gfr rates and stages of kidney failure are now noted on lab reports in this manner to catch the attention of physicians that don't specialize in kidney care.


    And Pittsburgh hospital may have newer machines with more accurate results. Loss of muscle mass can increase your values.

    As always after any scan, push fluids. I'm not familiar with any effect of zometa so no help there.

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