Preoperative pre-albumin concentration as a predictor of short-term outcomes in elderly patients with colorectal cancer

Abstract

Background/Aim: Population aging results in increasing numbers of elderly persons undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer. We sought to identify objective preoperative indicators of outcomes, with a view toward development of safe, effective treatments for such patients. Patients and Methods: The study included 99 patients aged 80 years or more, who were treated surgically for stage I–III colorectal cancer. Preoperative nutritional status was compared retrospectively between those who suffered postoperative complications (n=40) and those who did not (n=59). Results: Univariate analysis revealed low prealbumin (PreAlb) concentration (p=0.032) and low platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (p=0.116) as risk factors for postoperative complications. Multivariate analysis showed preoperative PreAlb concentration to be an independent risk factor (OR=0.884; 95% confidence interval=0.791-0.989; p=0.024) associated with postoperative length of hospital stay (coef.=−0.336, p=0.002). Conclusion: PreAlb, a rapid turnover protein, shows promise as a simple predictor of postoperative complications in elderly patients treated for colorectal surgery.