Albumin Bilirubin (ALBI) Score as a Predictor of Survival in Patients with BCLC Stage 0/A Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

epatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a primary malignancy of the liver. It occurs mainly in patients with underlying chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. The cells of origin are thought to be the hepatic stem cells Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major health problem worldwide as more than 700,000 cases are discovered yearly. Prognosis estimation and indication of treatment are critical steps in the management of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The prediction of outcome is relevant to provide adequate information to patients and relatives, both at the time of treatment selection and after the application of therapy. The functional impairment of the underlying liver has a significant impact on prognosis irrespective of tumor stage. At the same time, liver function defines the capacity to indicate treatments with potential deleterious effects on the liver. According to these considerations, any proposal aimed at stratifying patients into different prognostic groups or at linking staging with treatment indication has to consider this complex interaction. As a consequence, systems that take into account only one of these aspects unequivocally fail to predict prognosis in cohorts with a proper case mix comprising all