Which of the following is NOT part of the pre-asparaginase lab panel described?

• A. Platelets
• B. Glucose
• C. Amylase
• D. Calcium

Answer: (D)

Asparaginase carries risks that show up in specific lab checks before giving the drug, so the panel is chosen to catch those potential toxicities early. Platelets are checked as part of baseline safety and bleeding risk, since liver-related effects can impact coagulation and overall safety of treatment. Glucose is included because metabolic status matters in this setting; pancreatitis or pancreatic injury can disrupt glucose regulation, and steroids often used with chemotherapy can also affect blood sugar, so having a baseline helps with safe monitoring. Amylase is included specifically to screen for pancreatitis, a known complication of asparaginase, so rising amylase can signal a problem early.

Calcium isn’t part of this described pre-treatment panel because it’s not a targeted marker used to screen for asparaginase-related toxicities in the described protocol. Calcium isn’t routinely used to gauge imminent pancreatitis risk or early coagulopathy in this context, so it’s not included in the stated pre-asparaginase labs.