Pre-operative hypoalbunaemia is associated with poor overall survival in rectal cancer.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Serum albumin is a marker of nutrition and inflammation. It has recently emerged as a predictor of outcome after surgery for rectal cancer. Our aim was to evaluate if pre-operative serum albumin would predict survival after resection for rectal cancer. METHOD: 226 Patients with rectal cancer of all stages undergoing resection with curative intent were studied. Kaplan-Meier curves analysed survival based on a pre-operative albumin level of <35g/L vs. >35g/L. We sought for significant associations of survival with age, sex, stage, tumour site, use of neoadjuvant chemoradiation, microscopic positive resection margins (R1 ), differentiation, angio, peri-neural, and lymphovascular invasion using individual variable analysis. Multifactorial analysis was performed using type III analysis with Weibull hazard model and Cox-proportional hazard model. Significance was assigned to a P value <0.05. RESULTS: Of 226 patients (median age- 59 years; range 19 - 88, Male - 54%), forty five (20%) had an albumin level < 35g/L and was associated with a poor overall survival (P=0.01). Mean survival in months for <35g/ s. >35g/L was 64.7 (SE - 9.3) vs. 95.8 (SE - 7.0). Individual variable anaysis revealed age, circumferential margin, stage,, perineural, lymphovascular and angio invasion to be also significant. With multifactorial analysis hypo-albunaemia (HR= 0.58, P=0.03), advanced stage (HR= 2.0, P < 0.01 ) and R1 circumferential margin (HR= 2.2, P < 0.01) remained significant. CONCLUSION: Preoperative hypoalbunaemia is an independent risk factor for poor overall survival in rectal cancer. Advanced tumour stage and R1 circumferential margin were the other associations with poor survival.