Prognostic utility of the modified albumin-bilirubin score among patients undergoing curative-intent surgery for gallbladder cancer

Background: Gallbladder cancer (GBC) has been associated with high rates of recurrence and dismal prognosis even after curative-intent resection. The prognostic utility of the modified albumin-bilirubin (mALBI) score among individuals undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC has not been determined.

Methods: Patients who underwent radical resection for GBC between 2000 and 2022 were identified from an international, multi-institutional database. Preoperative albumin and bilirubin levels were used to calculate the mALBI score. The relationship among mALBI score, overall survival (OS), and recurrence-free survival (RFS) was examined.

Results: Among 269 patients who underwent radical resection for GBC, 161 (59.9%) had mALBI grade 1, 48 (17.8%) had grade 2a, 47 (17.5%) had grade 2b, and 13 (4.8%) had mALBI grade 3. After surgery, compared with patients with a low mALBI grade (grade 1/2a), individuals with a high mALBI grade (grade 2b/3) had worse 5-year OS (54.4% vs 19.2%, respectively; P < .001) and RFS (42.0% vs 17.8%, respectively; P < .001). On multivariable analysis, after controlling for relevant clinicopathologic variables, individuals with a high mALBI score remained independently associated with higher risks of death and recurrence (OS: hazard ratio [HR], 2.38 [95% CI, 1.50-3.79]; RFS: HR, 2.12 [95% CI 1.41-3.20]) versus patients with a low mALBI score after curative-intent resection for GBC. Of note, mALBI score was associated with incrementally worse survival within T2, T3, and N+ categories, whereas classic American Joint Committee on Cancer subclassifications failed to distinguish patients with long-term survival.

Conclusion: The mALBI score presents a simple, objective measure of hepatic functional reserve and may be a useful prognostic tool for patients undergoing curative-intent resection for GBC.