The short answer
Bilirubin is a yellowish substance made when the body breaks down old red blood cells. The liver normally removes it. A high level may mean the liver is not working right, a bile duct is blocked, or red blood cells are breaking down too fast. Some medicines, foods and hard exercise can also raise it.
Bilirubin is made when the body breaks down old red blood cells.
The liver normally clears it from the blood.
High levels can cause jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes.
Causes include liver disease, blocked bile ducts and hemolytic anemia.
On this page
Choose how you want to read this
The whole article, with every detail and caution.
The short version
Bilirubin is a yellowish substance. Your body makes it during the normal breakdown of old red blood cells. Your liver normally removes it through the bile ducts, so it does not build up in your blood.
What a high level may mean
MedlinePlus says high bilirubin may mean your liver is not working right. Possible causes include:
- Liver disease.
- A blockage in the bile ducts.
- Hemolytic anemia, where red blood cells break down faster than normal.
MedlinePlus also notes that some medicines, certain foods and hard exercise can raise bilirubin.
Jaundice
Too much bilirubin can cause jaundice. The skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. If you notice this, tell your care team.
Reading your result
Your report may list total, direct and indirect bilirubin. MedlinePlus says normal results can vary by lab and by sex, and are different for infants and children. The normal range depends on the lab. It is usually printed next to your result.
What to ask
Ask why your bilirubin is being checked and whether a medicine could affect it. Only your care team can say what your level means in your case.
Sources
Common questions
Does high bilirubin mean my cancer has spread to the liver?
Not by itself. MedlinePlus lists many causes of high bilirubin, including liver disease, blocked bile ducts, the fast breakdown of red blood cells and some medicines. Your care team reads it with other tests and scans.
What is jaundice?
Jaundice is when the skin and the whites of the eyes turn yellow. It happens when too much bilirubin builds up in the blood. Tell your care team if you notice it.
What are direct and indirect bilirubin?
Your report may list these separately. They are two forms of bilirubin measured in the blood. Ask your care team what the split in your result means.
Can medicines affect bilirubin?
Yes. MedlinePlus notes that some medicines can raise bilirubin. Tell your care team about all the medicines and supplements you take.
Questions to ask your doctor
Being prepared helps you get the most out of your appointments. Save or print these questions.
Tap a question to save it to your list (kept on this device).
Your next step
Plain-language definitions for the words on your report.
Talk with a trained specialist or navigator
Cancer Explained provides educational guidance, but does not replace trained specialists, social workers, or your medical team.
Talk to a trained cancer information specialist
Free, confidential assistance from NCI Cancer Information Service via phone, chat, or email.
Contact your oncology team
Locate after-hours contact numbers, portal messages, or urgent triage phone lines.
Find a patient navigator
Get one-on-one help with appointments, logistics, translation, and care coordination.
Find a genetic counselor
Discuss inherited mutation risk, family history, and genetic testing options.
Find an oncology social worker
Access emotional counseling, family support groups, and mental health resources.
Find a financial navigator
Locate copay assistance foundations, grant programs, and lodging/travel support.
Find a clinical-trial specialist
Search matching studies and speak with NCI trial information specialists.
Get urgent help
Fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher during chemo, severe pain, or trouble breathing: call your cancer care team right away, day or night. Call 911 for an emergency.
Know someone who needs this?
Plenty of people are looking for something like this and do not know where to start. If this would help a friend or someone you love, send it on — we have written an opening line so you do not have to stare at an empty message. You can change every word of it.
Your message is written and sent in your own email or messaging app — we never see who you send it to, and nothing is added to any list.
Plain-language explanation of the published sources cited on this page. AI-assisted, source-checked, not clinician-reviewed.
Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-10-02Next planned review: 2027-09-27
Review details and limits
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status — Source checked. This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
General education — varies by person. Answers genuinely differ between people. This page explains what commonly varies and points you to your care team for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Words to know
Tap any term to see what it means.
How this page was created
Cancer Explained does not originate medical claims. Every page restates guidance already published by the National Cancer Institute, the CDC, the USPSTF and the FDA, in plain language, with the source cited so you can check the original yourself. AI does the translating and organizing; automated checks test claims, citations, clarity and safety before anything publishes, and this is translation and navigation, not clinical judgment. Nothing here is personal medical advice, and no page can account for your particular situation.
Editorial status: Source checked — This page was written with AI assistance and then compared with the sources listed on it, looking for statements those sources do not back up. That check is not a sentence-by-sentence record and can miss errors. It is not a medical review, and it does not confirm the page is complete or right for your situation.
Human medical review: not completed. Pages here are not signed off by a clinician before they publish. That is not an oversight we are quietly working around: we restate published guidance and cite it, so the authority belongs to the source rather than to us, and every page names where its claims come from — you can verify us instead of trusting us. Where a volunteer clinician has reviewed a page, their name and credentials appear on it; where no name appears, no clinician has checked it. We are glad to have reviewers and are recruiting them, and we do not hold pages back waiting for one. Use this site to understand your situation and to ask better questions of the people treating you.
Read more about our editorial process, our use of AI, and our corrections policy.
Spotted a problem? Report an error — a factual mistake, broken or outdated source, confusing wording, or anything that seems unsafe. Please do not include names, medical record numbers, dates of birth, addresses, or other identifying medical information in your report.
After using this page, do you understand what to do next?
Anonymous — we only record the answer, never who gave it.