The preoperative albumin level is an independent prognostic factor for optimally debulked epithelial ovarian cancer

A low albumin level has been reported to be a prognostic factor for various cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the association between preoperative serum albumin level and survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Records of 337 patients with EOC that underwent optimal cytoreductive surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Threshold albumin level was planned as 32.5 g L⁻¹ due to the statistical analyses.

Mean overall survival was 51.5 months. Area under the ROC curve was found statistically significant for the discriminative role of albumin for survival outcome (AUC = 0.857, 95% CI 0.813–0.90, P < 0.001). The best cut-off point for albumin was determined as 32.5 g L⁻¹. The sensitivity rate, specificity rate, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy rate for this cut-off level were found 67.2, 91.2, 81.2, 83.1, and 82.5%, respectively. Preoperative hypoalbuminemia was noted in 101 (30.0%) of the patients, of which 6.2% had an albumin level <25 g L⁻¹. The albumin level was independently and significantly associated with overall survival (HR 2.6; 95% CI 2.1–3.1; P < 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed that patients with an albumin level <32.5 and ≥32.5 g L⁻¹ had mean estimated overall survival of 40.6 and 96.0 months, respectively. Age, stage, and presence of ascites were the other independent significant factors.

The preoperative albumin level is an independent prognostic factor for overall survival in optimally debulked EOC patients. Further investigations about preoperative albumin level in prognostic models will contribute to the literature.