Retrospective Study
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2023. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Oncol. Sep 15, 2023; 15(9): 1626-1635
Published online Sep 15, 2023. doi: 10.4251/wjgo.v15.i9.1626
Hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet score as a predictor of prognosis in metastatic gastric cancer
Yakup Duzkopru, Abdulkadir Kocanoglu, Ozlem Dogan, Hayriye Sahinli, Ebru Cilbir, Mustafa Altinbas
Yakup Duzkopru, Abdulkadir Kocanoglu, Ozlem Dogan, Hayriye Sahinli, Ebru Cilbir, Mustafa Altinbas, Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Ankara 06170, Turkey
Author contributions: Duzkopru Y and Kocanoglu A performed the study concept, study design, and statistical analysis; Dogan O and Cilbir E contributed to the data acquisition, data analysis and interpretation; Altinbas M and Sahinli H performed the manuscript editing; All authors contributed to the article and approved the submitted version.
Institutional review board statement: The ethics committee approval of the study was given by the Diskapi Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital ethics committee (date: 26.07.2021), No. 116/21.
Informed consent statement: The Institutional Review Board waived the need for informed consent due to the study's retrospective methodology.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Data sharing statement: The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available without restriction by the authors.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yakup Duzkopru, MD, Academic Fellow, Doctor, Department of Medical Oncology, Ankara Etlik City Hospital, Varlik Neighbourhood, Halil Sezai Erkut Street, Yenimahalle, Ankara 06170, Turkey. yakupduzkopru@gmail.com
Received: April 26, 2023
Peer-review started: April 26, 2023
First decision: June 7, 2023
Revised: June 17, 2023
Accepted: July 29, 2023
Article in press: July 29, 2023
Published online: September 15, 2023
Processing time: 139 Days and 14 Hours
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Research background

The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score, derived from a composite evaluation of markers reflecting the tumor-inflammation relationship and nutritional status, has been substantiated as a noteworthy prognostic determinant for diverse malignancies. A scoring system incorporating clinical and laboratory data may hold utility in determining the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Research motivation

The need for healthcare professionals to utilize supportive tools in predicting prognosis and making treatment decisions in metastatic gastric cancer.

Research objectives

To investigate how the HALP score relates to prognosis in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

Research methods

This retrospective study cohort comprised 147 patients with metastatic gastric cancer. The cutoff values for the HALP score, neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio, and platelet/lymphocyte ratio were determined using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Low HALP scores were defined as those less than 24.79 and high HALP scores as those greater than 24.79.

Research results

The median overall survival was significantly superior in patients with high HALP score than those with low HALP score (10.4 mo vs 7.5 mo, respectively; P < 0.001).

Research conclusions

The HALP score was found to be a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.

Research perspectives

Given its simplicity and low cost, we think the HALP score can be utilized to manage patients with gastric cancer.