The Nagalase enzyme has the ability to completely shut down the activity of the localized immune macrophage cell, whose job it is to destroy any cell that has been harmed or is not functioning normally. It effectively “cloaks” the cancer cells from detection by the immune system. This is the reason that someone can have a strong functioning immune system and still be growing a tumor. The Nagalase blood test is a good way to check the progress of treatment.
A test measuring the level of nagalase in the blood can be used to provide a measure of progress during treatment for cancer. Remember, the more cancer cells there are, the higher the fermentation process is. This causes the cancer cells to "cloak" or hide their activity from the immune system by producing Nagalase.
There are some other conditions that can cause a false high reading on this test so experience with it is necessary to properly interpret the results.
If a person has had a recent viral infection or if they have recently started a heavy exercise program, it can skew the results. The reason is that this is exactly what our normal muscle cells do when overworked and the oxygen level falls below a level necessary for respiration. They will produce the enzyme.