- For patients with both SGOT and alkaline phosphatase elevations, SGOT must be less than 1.5 x institutional upper limit of normal and alkaline phosphatase must be less 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal. For patients with liver metastases, however, SGOT may be < 3.0 x institutional upper limit of normal and alkaline phosphatase may be < 5.0 x institutional upper limit of normal as long as the total bilirubin is within the institutional upper limit of normal.