Q: Could you kindly specify what blood tests should be done and frequency of testing once the treatment has begun. I have been doing the CEA every 3 months, which is on a continual rise. My Dr knows nothing about DCA, but is willing to work with me if she is aware of what should be checked regularly. Keith A: Dear Keith, thank you for your question. In short, you should monitor your complete blood count, your liver enzyme levels (AST, ALT, GGT), bilirubin, CRP (C reactive protein), creatinine, urea, electrolyte levels and CEA. •Liver enzymes are important to monitor your liver function. Rarely, but they can get elevated from the DCA and the other natural treatments that you‘re getting. They can also rise if you take too much paracetamol/acetaminophen (Tylenol), antibiotics or other drugs that can cause a liver reaction. Cytotoxic chemotherapy can as well cause liver injury and the elevation of liver enzymes as well as bilirubin. Stop taking DCA if you experience abnormal liver enzyme (AST, ALT, GGT) elevation 2.5 times from the upper limit of normal levels. Take 1) silymarin or milk thistle, 2) essential phospholipids. Take a break till the liver enzymes return to normal levels. Then you can resume DCA. •CEA is a tumor marker that is most useful for tracking the dynamics of cancer. The increase of CEA might indicate that the tumor is growing while the decrease of CEA might indicate that the tumor is decreasing in size. Have a regular check every 3 months to see whether the cancer is responding to therapy, also check if stabilisation is achieved. This is how your papers should look like. • Full blood exam / Complete blood count. It is a basic blood test that should be done in every hospital or clinic setting. 1) Reduced HGB (hemoglobin) could mean that you have iron deficiency anemia, other types of anemia or chronic bleeding. 2) Reduced WBC (white blood cells) and neutrophils are often encountered 1-3 weeks after cytotoxic chemotherapy and could indicate suppressed bone marrow function. This could lead to increased susceptibility to infections as well as fever. 3) Low platelet count (below