Use of age-albumin ratio as a single predictor of 30-day mortality after colectomy

Abstract

Background: Colorectal cancer is among the three leading cancers and causes of mortality worldwide. It is important to develop an effective single-parameter screening technique for reducing the postoperative mortality rate. Previous studies have proved that patient age is a major factor influencing postoperative mortality. A strong association has been reported between serum albumin and patient age. We aimed to identify new predictors on the basis of age-albumin ratio (AAR) for assessing 30-day mortality after colectomy. Patients and Methods: Detailed information about patients with colon cancer was retrieved from the Colorectal Section Tumor Registry at Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. The study subjects comprised 3,732 consecutive patients with colon cancer who had undergone elective, potentially curative surgery. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the AAR was significantly larger than the AUC of serum albumin. The low specificity of AAR was compensated by its substantially high sensitivity. An AAR of ≥20 years g-1 nl-1 was found to be the most prevalent threshold value. Conclusion: The present investigation suggests that AAR can be used in clinical practice as a simple parameter for the identification of patients at risk of 30-day mortality after colectomy. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.