A composite index score (ANS) based on serum albumin levels and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (NLR) can predict postoperative survival and guide treatment in biliary tract cancer, according to results published in Cancers. Researchers retrospectively obtained serum albumin concentrations, neutrophil counts, and lymphocyte data from patients (N=268) with biliary tract cancer 2 weeks prior to complete tumor resection. The study team grouped patients into 3 ANS categories: ANS 0 (high albumin and low NLR), ANS 1 (low albumin or high NLR), or ANS 2 (low albumin and high NLR). They reported 5-year survival rates of 70.1% for ANS 0, 47.6% for ANS 1, and 30.8% for ANS 2. Researchers could not determine median overall survival for the ANS 0 group by the study’s end; those for ANS 1 and ANS 2 were 54.90 months and 16.62 months, respectively. A high ANS correlated with other poor prognostic factors, such as advanced tumor stage and vascular invasion.
