Association between preoperative inflammatory biomarkers and postoperative morbidity and mortality in stage I-III colorectal cancer patients: a single-centre prospective study.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether preoperative inflammatory biomarkers have prognostic value in terms of postoperative surgical morbidity in stage I-III resectable colorectal cancer.

DESIGN

Prospective observational cohort study.

SETTING

This is a single centre study conducted at the general surgery department of Djilali Belkhenchir, formerly Birtraria, Hospital, in Algeria.

PARTICIPANTS

We enrolled patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer who underwent initial curative resection from May 2022 to May 2025.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Preoperative inflammatory biomarkers such as neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, platelets to lymphocyte ratio, monocyte to lymphocyte ratio and lymphocyte×albumin (LA) were calculated based on blood samples taken 30 days prior to surgery. The primary outcome was postoperative morbidity and the secondary outcome was postoperative mortality.

RESULTS

230 patients met the inclusion criteria and had curative resection. Multivariable regression analysis showed that tumour size (OR 1.264, 95% CI 1.098 to 1.455, p<0.001), LA (OR 0.501, 95% CI 0.284 to 0.881, p=0.016) and rectal location (OR 2.569, 95% CI 1.138 to 5.798, p=0.023) were independent factors associated with postoperative complications.

CONCLUSION

The LA score, tumour size and tumour location were associated with post-operative morbidity in patients with stage I-III resectable colorectal cancer.