Albumin-to-Alkaline Phosphatase Ratio as a Novel Prognostic Factor in Patients Undergoing Nephrectomy for Non-Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma: Propensity Score Matching Analysis

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: To evaluate the prognostic value of albumin-to-alkaline phosphatase ratio (AAPR) on recurrence and survival in patients with non-metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) treated with radical or partial nephrectomy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between June 1994 and December 2018, 491 patients with RCC who underwent radical or partial nephrectomy at 2 institutions were enrolled in this study. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) analyses were performed to distinguish the differences in postoperative recurrence and survival between patients stratified by an optimal cut-off value of AAPR. Multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models were established to determine the independent prognostic factors after propensity score weighting. RESULTS: Of the total 491 patients, 51 patients (10.4%) developed local recurrence or distant metastasis and 26 patients (5.3%) died of disease during the follow-up period. Patients with AAPR<0.41 had significantly lower rates of RFS and CSS than those of patients with AAPR>/=0.41 in multivariate analysis (P < .001 and P = .027, respectively). After propensity scroe matching analyses, this difference was still remained for RFS (P < .001). However, AAPR was not an independent prognostic factor for CSS but the value was almost pregnant (HR = 2.674; 95%CI = 0.872-8.203; P = .086). CONCLUSION: AAPR can serve as a novel and useful tool to refine prognosis in patients with non-metastatic RCC treated with partial or radical nephrectomy. These findings suggest that AAPR could be a promising prognostic factor for prediction of recurrence and survival in patients with non-metastatic RCC who undergo nephrectomy.