The short answer
Uric acid is a normal waste product made when the body breaks down purines, which come from dying cells and some foods. Some cancer treatments break down tumor cells quickly and can raise uric acid. That is why it may be checked during treatment. High levels can also come from gout, kidney disease and other causes.
Uric acid is a waste product made when the body breaks down purines.
Purines come from dying cells and some foods and drinks.
Some cancer treatments break down tumor cells quickly and can raise uric acid.
High uric acid is also linked with gout, kidney disease and kidney stones.
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The short version
Uric acid is a normal waste product. Your body makes it when it breaks down purines. Purines come from cells that break down in your body and from some foods and drinks.
Why it may be checked during cancer care
MedlinePlus explains that some cancer treatments break down tumor cells quickly. The dying cells release large amounts of purines into the blood. This can raise uric acid and lead to serious problems. So your care team may check uric acid during some treatments.
A related problem is called tumor lysis syndrome. Ask your care team if you are at risk.
Other causes of high uric acid
MedlinePlus lists many possible causes, including:
- Gout.
- Kidney disease and kidney stones.
- Some blood and bone marrow cancers, such as leukemia and multiple myeloma, and cancer that has spread.
- Side effects of chemotherapy.
- Alcohol use disorder.
Low uric acid in blood is uncommon and usually does not cause health problems.
Reading your result
Reference ranges differ between labs. A single value is read with your kidney tests, your treatment and how you feel.
What to ask
Ask why uric acid is being checked, whether you are at risk of tumor lysis syndrome, and which symptoms mean you should call. Your team will decide whether your level needs treatment.
Sources
Common questions
Why is my uric acid checked during cancer treatment?
MedlinePlus explains that when treatment kills cancer cells quickly, the cells release large amounts of purines into the blood. This can lead to serious problems from high uric acid. So care teams may check it during some treatments.
Is high uric acid a sign of cancer?
Not by itself. MedlinePlus lists many causes, including gout, kidney disease, kidney stones and alcohol use disorder, as well as some cancers and chemotherapy. Your care team reads it in context.
What is tumor lysis syndrome?
It is a problem that can happen when many cancer cells break down quickly and release their contents into the blood. See our tumor lysis syndrome guide and ask your care team about your risk.
Does low uric acid matter?
MedlinePlus says low uric acid in the blood is uncommon and usually does not cause health problems.
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Sources last checked: 2026-10-02 what this meansLast updated: 2026-09-27Next planned review: 2027-09-27
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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.
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