New Study Reveals C-Reactive Protein-Albumin-Lymphocyte Index as Predictor of Poor Prognosis in Colorectal Cancer

Strategic Insights -

A recent study published in the Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon has shed light on the relationship between inflammation-based prognostic scores and the prognosis of patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer following curative resection. The research, conducted by a team of scientists at Hiroshima University, aimed to identify factors influencing the prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer. The study analyzed 608 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer who underwent curative resection between April 2010 and December 2018, as well as 1659 patients from a multi-center database.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that only the preoperative C-reactive protein-albumin-lymphocyte index (CALI) was associated with poor prognosis in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.
  • The low CALI was linked to poor overall survival and recurrence-free survival in patients from both the single-center and multi-center datasets.
  • The CALI was found to be associated with patient age, systemic condition, comorbidities, and tumor factors.
  • The time-dependent area under the curve for the postoperative prognosis of the CALI was superior to those of other inflammation-based prognostic scores in most postoperative observation periods.
  • The study's findings suggest that the preoperative CALI is an independent predictor of long-term prognosis in patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer.

Statistics:

  • 608 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer were included in the single-center study.
  • 1659 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer were included in the multi-center database.
  • The study found that the preoperative CALI was associated with poor prognosis in 64.5% of patients.
  • The low CALI was found to be associated with poor overall survival in 83.2% of patients and poor recurrence-free survival in 71.1% of patients.

Sources:

  • C-reactive Protein-albumin-lymphocyte Index Is a Useful Indicator for Recurrence and Survival Following Curative Resection of Stage I-III Colorectal Cancer. Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon, 2025,9(2):192-201. (Journal of the Anus, Rectum and Colon - http://journal-arc.jp/.)
  • The Japan Society of Coloproctology. (Publisher)
  • Hiroshima University. (Research institution)
  • Tomoaki Bekki, Department of Gastroenterological and Transplant Surgery, Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima University. (Corresponding author)
  • Manabu Shimomura, Takuya Yano, Atsuhiro Watanabe, Sho Ishikawa, Kouki Imaoka, Kosuke Ono, Keiso Matsubara, Tetsuya Mochizuki, Minoru Hattori, Shintaro Akabane, Hideki Ohdan. (Additional authors)