The clinical significance of preoperative C-reactive protein/albumin ratio in patients with resected extrahepatic bile duct cancer

• Published in: Surgery today (Tokyo, Japan) Japan), 2021-06, Vol.51 (6), p.978-985
• Main Authors: Song, Du Hyun, Cho, In Kuk, Shin, Dong Woo, Lee, Jong-chan, Cho, Jai Young, Yoon, Yoo-Seok, Hwang, Jin-Hyeok, Han, Ho-Seong, Kim, Jaihwan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original Article; Surgery; Surgical Oncology
• ISSN: 0941-1291; 1436-2813
• DOI: 10.1007/s00595-020-02188-z

Purpose The C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio has been identified as a potential prognostic factor for several malignancies. We, therefore, assessed the prognostic role of the CRP/albumin ratio in resected extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (EC). Materials and methods A total of 235 patients were retrospectively analyzed between March 2005 and December 2017. The correlations among the preoperative CRP/albumin ratio, clinicopathological factors, and clinical outcomes were investigated. Results There were 143 males (60.8%), and the median age at the diagnosis was 70.1 (range 41.0–85.5) years. Patients were diagnosed with perihilar bile duct cancer ( n  = 61) and distal bile duct cancer ( n  = 174). The median recurrence-free survival and overall survival were 32.7 and 38.7 months, respectively. The optimal prognostic cut-off point of the CRP/albumin ratio for the survival was 0.18 (× 10 3 ). According to the Kaplan–Meier analysis with a log-rank test, the high CRP/albumin ratio group (≥ 0.18) had a significantly shorter overall survival than the low CRP/albumin ratio group (