Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of the preoperative serum albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) score in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).
Methods: Preoperative ALBI data from 1506 CRC patients were categorized into high-value and low-value groups, and the clinicopathological characteristics of these groups were compared. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was employed to investigate the risk factors associated with distant metastasis. The Kaplan-Meier method and log-rank test were utilized to analyze the relationship between ALBI scores and 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS).
Results: The incidence of distant metastasis in group B (ALBI ≥ -2.4) was significantly higher at 28.81% compared to group A (ALBI < -2.4), which had an incidence of 23.36% (p = 0.018). ALBI score ≥ -2.4 was identified as an independent risk factor for postoperative distant metastasis of CRC (HR = 1.251, 95%CI: 1.021-1.533, p = 0.031). The incidence of 5-year DMFS was significantly lower in the ALBI ≥ -2.4 group compared to that observed in the ALBI < -2.4 group (χ2 = 5.97, p = 0.015, log-rank test).
Conclusion: The ALBI score of ≥ -2.4 emerges as an independent risk factor for the occurrence of distant metastases following CRC surgery.
Keywords: Colorectal cancer; albumin; albumin-bilirubin score; distant metastasis; prognosis.
This study analyzed the association between the ALBI score (an index of liver function) and postoperative distant metastasis in 1506 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. Distant metastasis is where cancer has spread from the original tumor to other organs or lymph nodes. Patients with a high ALBI score (≥-2.4) had a significantly higher incidence of distant metastasis and a substantially lower 5-year distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) compared to those with a low ALBI score (<-2.4). This is the first report linking the ALBI score to distant metastases, potentially guiding patient management.