BACKGROUND: Prior studies have demonstrated the prognostic value of pretreatment serum albumin in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) on survival in breast cancer patients. METHODS: This retrospective study used an unselected cohort of 354 breast cancer patients who had documented total protein and albumin levels prior to chemotherapy. Survival status was obtained from our cancer registry. Survival analysis, stratified by AGR tertiles, was used to evaluate the prognostic value of AGR. RESULTS: Patients in the highest AGR tertiles (AGR > 1.45) had a lower 5-year mortality rate compared with those in the middle (AGR 1.21 to 1.45) and the lowest (AGR < 1.21) tertiles (6% vs. 18% and 32%, P < .001). After adjusting for confounding variables, AGR remained a significant predictor of mortality (P < .002). Moreover, after excluding the patients with albumin levels less than 3.6, the AGR remained a significant predictor of survival (P .0018). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment AGR is an independent, significant predictor of long-term mortality in breast cancer patients, even in patients with normal albumin levels.
BACKGROUND: Prior studies have demonstrated the prognostic value of pretreatment serum albumin in different types of cancer. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of the albumin to globulin ratio (AGR) on survival in breast cancerpatients. METHODS: This retrospective study used an unselected cohort of 354 breast cancerpatients who had documented total protein and albumin levels prior to chemotherapy. Survival status was obtained from our cancer registry. Survival analysis, stratified by AGR tertiles, was used to evaluate the prognostic value of AGR. RESULTS:Patients in the highest AGR tertiles (AGR > 1.45) had a lower 5-year mortality rate compared with those in the middle (AGR 1.21 to 1.45) and the lowest (AGR < 1.21) tertiles (6% vs. 18% and 32%, P < .001). After adjusting for confounding variables, AGR remained a significant predictor of mortality (P < .002). Moreover, after excluding the patients with albumin levels less than 3.6, the AGR remained a significant predictor of survival (P .0018). CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment AGR is an independent, significant predictor of long-term mortality in breast cancerpatients, even in patients with normal albumin levels.
Authors: Oktay Halit Aktepe; Gürkan Güner; Deniz Can Güven; Hakan Taban; Hasan Çağrı Yıldırım; Taha Koray Şahin; Fadime Sinem Ardıç; Hacı Hasan Yeter; Deniz Yüce; Mustafa Erman Journal: Turk J Urol Date: 2021-03-01