Prognostic value of albumin-bilirubin grade in patients with pancreatic cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Mahyaar Omouri-Kharashtomi, Mohammad Mohammadi, Iman Menbari Oskouie et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed whether albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade is associated with outcomes in patients with pancreatic cancer. Six studies involving 1665 patients contributed to overall survival (OS) analysis, and three studies involving 936 patients contributed to recurrence-free/disease-free survival (RFS/DFS) analysis. Higher ALBI grade was associated with worse OS (HR = 2.14, 95% CI [1.53, 3.00]) and worse RFS/DFS (HR = 2.39, 95% CI [1.02, 5.58]). Subgroup analyses found no significant differences among the ALBI grading approaches for predicting OS.
Key findings
- Higher ALBI grade was associated with decreased OS (HR = 2.14, 95% CI [1.53, 3.00]) across six studies with 1665 patients.
- Higher ALBI grade was associated with decreased RFS/DFS (HR = 2.39, 95% CI [1.02, 5.58]) across three studies with 936 patients.
- No significant differences among high versus low, grade 2 versus 1, and grade 3 versus 1 approaches were observed for OS prediction.
Why it matters
The findings suggest that ALBI grade may help stratify prognosis in pancreatic cancer, with higher grades associated with poorer survival and recurrence-related outcomes. This offers a potential prognostic measure for clinical assessment, although the evidence describes associations and does not establish that ALBI-guided decisions improve outcomes.
What to keep in mind
The evidence base was limited to six studies for OS and three for RFS/DFS; the abstract does not report further details on study quality or heterogeneity.