- Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase [SGOT]) and/or alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase [SGPT]) =< 2.5 x institutional upper limit of normal; if AST (SGOT) or ALT (SGPT) are greater than the institutional upper limit of normal (UNL) but less than the maximum allowed, an abdominal (including liver) ultrasound, CT or MRI scan must be performed prior to randomization to rule out metastatic disease; if the values are greater than the maximum allowed, patients will not be considered eligible regardless of findings on any supplementary imaging