Superiority of CRP-albumin-lymphocyte index (CALLY index) as a non-invasive prognostic biomarker after hepatectomy for hepatocellular carcinoma.

Abstract Background We aimed to investigate whether a novel biomarker incorporating albumin, lymphocytes, and CRP can predict the prognosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatectomy. Methods Between January 2011 and December 2013, 384 patients who underwent hepatectomy in four university hospitals in Japan were investigated as a discovery cohort. The CRP-Albumin-Lymphocyte (CALLY index) was defined as (Albumin × Lymphocyte)/(CRP × 104). Patients with a CALLY index ≥5 (n = 200) were compared to those with an index Results The number of TNM Stage III and IV patients was significantly higher in the CALLY Conclusion The CALLY index derived from CRP, albumin, and lymphocyte values is a promising predictive biomarker for postoperative prognosis of patients with HCC.