Clinical impact of C-reactive protein to albumin ratio of the 7th postoperative day on prognosis after laparoscopic colorectal cancer surgery

Abstract

Purpose: C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR) has been utilized as a prognostic factor in various carcinomas. We investigated the relationship between preoperative, postoperative day (POD) 1, and POD 7 CARs and the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: Three hundred twenty patients with CRC who underwent laparoscopic radical resection between May 2011 and December 2016 were enrolled. Patients were selected into 2 groups, high CAR and low CAR (72 patients per group), based on preoperative, POD 1, and POD 7 CARs. The relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) were compared between groups using propensity score matching. Results: The high CAR group had a significantly worse RFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P = 0.002) at POD 7 than those in the low CAR group. However, in preoperative and POD 1 analysis, no differences were observed. Conclusion: In patients with CRC, CAR of POD 7 was a significant prognostic factor.