Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33933070›Full record

SynthesisWorld journal of surgical oncology2021

Prognostic value of the C-reactive protein to albumin ratio in colorectal cancer: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Chun-Kai Liao, Yen-Lin Yu, Yueh-Chen Lin, Yu-Jen Hsu, Yih-Jong Chern, Jy-Ming Chiang, Jeng-Fu You

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in World journal of surgical oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 89 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
89citing papers in PubMed, 8 pooled it
8.6field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

89 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 129 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. C-reactive protein and its ratio with albumin as a marker of poor prognosis in oral cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026
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29 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Chun-Kai Liao *Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7497-4444
Yen-Lin Yu *Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Keelung branch, No. 222, Maijin Rd., Anle Dist., Keelung City, 204, Taiwan.
Yueh-Chen LinDivision of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Yu-Jen HsuDivision of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Yih-Jong ChernDivision of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Jy-Ming ChiangDivision of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan.
Jeng-Fu YouDivision of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Linkou, No. 5, Fuxing St., Guishan Dist., Taoyuan, 33305, Taiwan. jenodyssey@gmail.com.
Chang Gung Memorial Hospital · TWChang Gung University of Science and Technology · TWKeelung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital · TW

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundsThe inflammatory biomarker "C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CAR)" has been reported to significantly correlate to a variety of human cancers. However, there are conflicting results regarding the prognostic value of CAR in colorectal cancer. Previous studies mainly assessed patients in Eastern countries, so their findings may not be applicable to the Western population. Therefore, this updated meta-analysis aimed to investigate the prognostic value of pre-treatment CAR and outcomes of patients with colorectal cancer.

methodsWe conducted a systematic search for eligible literature until October 31, 2020, using PubMed and Embase databases. Studies assessing pre-treatment CAR and outcomes of colorectal cancer were included. Outcome measures included overall survival, disease-free survival, progression-free survival, and clinicopathological features. The pooled hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used as effective values.

resultsA total of 15 studies involving 6329 patients were included in this study. The pooled results indicated that a high pre-treatment CAR was associated with poor overall survival (HR 2.028, 95% CI 1.808-2.275, p < 0.001) and poor disease-free survival/progression-free survival (HR 1.768, 95% CI 1.321-2.365, p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis revealed a constant prognostic value of the pre-treatment CAR despite different study regions, sample size, cancer stage, treatment methods, or the cut-off value used. We also noted a correlation between high pre-treatment CAR and old age, male sex, colon cancer, advanced stage (III/IV), large tumor size, poor differentiation, elevated carcinoembryonic antigen levels, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and the modified Glasgow prognostic score.

conclusionsHigh pre-treatment CAR was associated with poor overall survival, disease-free survival, and progression-free survival in colorectal cancer. It can serve as a prognostic marker for colorectal cancer in clinical practice.

Indexed as

Colonic NeoplasmsColorectal NeoplasmsC-Reactive ProteinHumansMalePrognosisSerum AlbuminC-Reactive ProteinSerum AlbuminColorectal cancerC-reactive protein to albumin ratioDisease-free survivalMeta-analysisOverall survival

Identifiers

PMID33933070
PMCPMC8088626
OpenAlexW3155432210

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.