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Reading a liver function test report: SGPT, SGOT, bilirubin and albumin | CION Cancer Clinics
A liver function test shows whether the liver is inflamed, whether bile is flowing and whether the liver still makes the proteins you need. It cannot show whether there is a tumour. This page explains each line on the report, from SGPT and SGOT to bilirubin and albumin, the patterns doctors look for, and when a change needs a doctor quickly. At CION Cancer Clinics, our team goes through your scan, blood test and biopsy reports with you and plans the next step.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed October 2026, next review due October 2027
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On this page
- What does a liver function test actually measure?
- What does each line on my LFT report mean?
- What do doctors look for when several values are abnormal?
- How should I read my own report without panicking?
- Which LFT beliefs lead families in the wrong direction?
- What this page cannot tell you
- Common questions about liver function test reports
The short answer
What does a liver function test actually measure?
A liver function test (LFT) is a group of blood tests that shows whether the liver is inflamed, whether bile is flowing freely, and whether the liver is still making the proteins your body needs. It cannot show whether there is a tumour. That needs a scan.
Why the name is misleading
Only some lines on the report measure how well the liver works. The enzymes, SGPT and SGOT, mostly show irritation or damage to liver cells. Bilirubin and albumin are closer to true function. Doctors read the lines together, as a pattern, rather than one at a time.
Who usually reads this page
Often it is a son or daughter holding a parent's report with several values marked high, late at night, before the next appointment. If the report came with a scan showing a spot on the liver, read our page on blood tests in liver cancer as well. It explains how the LFT fits beside the other tests.
One abnormal value on its own rarely means anything certain. The pattern and the trend matter more.Line by line
What does each line on my LFT report mean?
- SGPT (ALT)
- An enzyme found mainly inside liver cells. It leaks into the blood when cells are inflamed or injured, for example by hepatitis, fatty liver or some medicines.
- SGOT (AST)
- A similar enzyme, also found in muscle and the heart. When SGOT is clearly higher than SGPT, doctors think about alcohol-related damage or cirrhosis, though this is only a clue.
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
- Rises when bile flow is blocked or slowed inside or outside the liver. It also comes from bone, so it is read with GGT.
- GGT
- Rises with blocked bile flow and with alcohol and some medicines. A raised ALP with a raised GGT points to the liver rather than bone.
- Bilirubin, total, direct and indirect
- The yellow pigment left when old red cells break down. The liver processes it and passes it into bile. A high level causes jaundice. Direct bilirubin rising suggests a bile problem. Indirect rising alone is often harmless.
- Albumin
- The main protein the liver makes. A low albumin can mean the liver is struggling, but poor eating and kidney loss lower it too.
- Globulin and A/G ratio
- Other blood proteins, and the balance between albumin and globulin. Globulin often rises in long-standing liver disease.
- INR or prothrombin time
- Not always printed on an LFT, but often ordered with it. It shows how well the liver makes clotting proteins.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistReading the pattern
What do doctors look for when several values are abnormal?
Doctors sort an abnormal LFT into three broad patterns. Each points to a different kind of problem, not to a diagnosis.
The inflamed liver
SGPT and SGOT are raised more than ALP. This is typical of hepatitis from a virus, fatty liver, alcohol or a medicine.
Often caused by
- Hepatitis B or C
- Fatty liver
- Alcohol
- Some medicines and herbal tonics
The blocked bile flow
ALP, GGT and direct bilirubin are raised more than the enzymes. Bile is not draining freely. Gallstones are a common cause. A tumour pressing on a bile duct is a less common one.
Jaundice without pain needs a scan soon. Our page on yellow eyes and skin explains why.The weakened liver
Albumin is low, INR is raised and bilirubin may be high, sometimes with near-normal enzymes. This suggests the liver has less working tissue, as in cirrhosis. These values feed the Child-Pugh score.
The normal report
A normal LFT is reassuring about how the liver is coping, but it does not rule out a tumour. Early liver cancer often leaves the report unchanged.
Before the appointment
How should I read my own report without panicking?
Check the name and the date
Make sure the report is the right person's and note when the blood was drawn. Recent illness, fever or heavy drinking can change values.
Use the lab's own reference column
Every lab prints its own normal range beside each value. Compare against that column, not a range found online.
Look for the pattern, not the highest number
Note which group is abnormal: the enzymes, the bile markers or the proteins. That is what your doctor will look at first.
Put old reports in date order
A value that is slowly falling tells a different story from one that is climbing. Bring every earlier report you have.
Write down every medicine and tonic
Include herbal and Ayurvedic liver tonics. Doctors ask without judging, because some of these raise the enzymes.
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Commonly believed
Which LFT beliefs lead families in the wrong direction?
"The SGPT is very high, so the liver is failing."
Very high enzymes usually mean active inflammation, which often settles. A failing liver shows itself through low albumin, a raised INR and rising bilirubin, and sometimes the enzymes are only mildly raised.
"Albumin is low, so we must cut his protein."
The opposite is usually true. People with liver disease often need enough protein to keep their muscles. Ask the team before changing the diet.
"A liver tonic will bring the numbers down."
No tonic has been shown to treat liver disease, and some herbal products can injure the liver, especially one with cirrhosis. Tell your doctor what you take.
"A normal LFT means the scan finding is nothing."
The LFT and the scan answer different questions. If a follow-up scan was advised, keep the appointment.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you what is causing your abnormal values, or whether there is cancer. An LFT points the doctor towards questions, and a scan, a hepatitis test or a specialist review answers them.
Who this does not apply to
This page is written for adults. Children, pregnant women and people with known bone disease have different normal patterns, and their reports need a doctor who knows that context. It also does not cover the score used for transplant listing, which our page on albumin, INR and platelets and the Child-Pugh pages explain.
When not to wait
Some changes cannot wait for the next clinic. Sudden yellow eyes with fever, new confusion or drowsiness, or vomiting blood mean go to hospital today. Yellowing that is slowly building without pain needs a doctor this week.
A hepatologist or your oncologist can read your report with your history and scans. That is the only reading that counts.Questions we are asked
Common questions about liver function test reports
Is SGPT the same as ALT, and SGOT the same as AST?
Yes. SGPT and SGOT are the older names many Indian labs still print. ALT and AST are the newer names for the same enzymes. Some reports show both names side by side. The meaning and the way doctors read them do not change.
Can an LFT detect liver cancer?
No. Many people with early liver cancer have a normal or near-normal LFT. Liver cancer is found on a scan such as an ultrasound, CT or MRI. The LFT shows how well the rest of the liver is coping, which helps decide which treatments are safe.
Why is my bilirubin high but I do not look yellow?
Jaundice only shows once bilirubin rises well above normal. A small rise, especially in indirect bilirubin alone, is often harmless and can be due to a common inherited condition called Gilbert's syndrome. Your doctor will look at which type is raised.
Do I need to fast before an LFT?
Usually not for the LFT itself, though the lab may ask you to fast if other tests are taken at the same time. Avoid alcohol and heavy exercise the day before, because both can nudge the enzymes up and make a single result harder to read.
Can medicines change my LFT?
Yes. Some painkillers, antibiotics, tuberculosis medicines, cancer treatments and herbal products can raise the enzymes. Never stop a prescribed medicine on your own because of a report. Show it to the doctor who prescribed it first.
How often will the LFT be repeated during cancer treatment?
It is usually checked before each treatment step, because immunotherapy, targeted therapy and chemotherapy can all affect the liver. Your team sets the timing. Keep every printed report so the trend can be followed.
What should I bring to the appointment?
Every LFT you have, in date order, any scan reports and CDs, your hepatitis test results and a written list of every medicine and tonic. If the patient finds it hard to explain, a family member who knows the history is a real help.
Can CION look at my report?
Yes. Call the CION helpline and say you have a liver report you want explained. The team can arrange for an oncologist to review it with your scan, and if you need a hepatologist or further tests, CION coordinates those through partner hospitals.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's liver cancer specialists. Bring your scan reports and liver blood tests.
Our medical and surgical oncologists plan liver cancer care together, weighing the tumour and how well your liver works before choosing surgery, a liver-directed procedure or medicines.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
Medical Oncologist
Medical Oncologist
Surgical Oncologist
Dr. Muralidhar Muddusetty
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
Surgical Oncologist
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Sources
- MedlinePlus — Liver Function Tests
- MedlinePlus — Jaundice
- NIDDK — Eating, Diet, & Nutrition for Cirrhosis - NIDDK
- MDCalc — Child-Pugh Score for Cirrhosis Mortality Calculator
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Blood tests in liver cancerWhere the LFT fits beside INR, platelets, hepatitis tests and AFPAlbumin, INR and plateletsThe numbers that decide which treatment is safeChild-Pugh A, B and C explainedHow bilirubin and albumin become a liver function gradeYellow eyes and skinWhen a high bilirubin needs a doctor quickly
Talk to us
Holding a report with values marked high?
Send us the report with any earlier ones and your scan. An oncologist can explain what the pattern means and whether you need to be seen. One helpline serves every CION centre.