MIBC is a crucial malignancy that requires a multidisciplinary approach due to its high mortality rate and aggressive clinical course. Therefore, accurate and reliable identification of prognostic markers may improve patient management by contributing to the development of individualised treatment approaches. This study aimed to add unique and clinically relevant findings to the literature by comprehensively evaluating the prognostic value of the HALP score for disease progression and survival.
Pathological factors remain integral in determining the prognosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In our study, while pT stage exhibited a strong association with recurrence, LVI and pathological nodal status (pN stage) did not demonstrate statistically significant predictive value for progression. Notably, PNI emerged as the most robust independent prognostic marker for recurrence, suggesting its potential to enhance existing prognostic models for bladder cancer progression. This finding aligns partially with the work of Karakiewicz et al., who identified pathological staging and LVI as powerful predictors of recurrence but contrasts with Lotan et al., who found no significant association between LVI and recurrence. These discrepancies underscore the variability in the prognostic relevance of LVI across studies and highlight the need for further investigation (10,11).
Preoperative anemia is a marker of systemic health and it is a tumor burden. In this sense, it has been widely studied in the context of oncological outcomes. While our analysis did not reveal a significant relationship between preoperative anemia and recurrence, prior studies have reported conflicting results. Xia et al. identified a significant association between preoperative anemia and early recurrence in bladder and renal cancers, and Furrer et al. demonstrated increased progression risk in anemic patients requiring erythrocyte transfusions (5,12,13). These inconsistencies suggest that the impact of anemia on recurrence may be influenced by additional factors, such as treatment modalities or patient comorbidities, necessitating more nuanced exploration in future studies.
Low preoperative albumin levels, a reflection of nutritional and inflammatory status, have been consistently linked to adverse outcomes in multiple malignancies. Our findings corroborate this, as low albumin levels were significantly associated with increased postoperative recurrence risk (p=0.032). This observation is in line with previous research, such as Djalat et al.’s study in bladder cancer, Liu et al.’s work in gastric cancer and Miura et al.’s findings in non-small cell lung cancer (7,14,15). Collectively, these results highlight hypoalbuminemia as a potential universal marker of poor oncological outcomes, reinforcing its importance in preoperative risk stratification.
The prognostic utility of the HALP score, a composite index incorporating hematological and biochemical parameters, has been demonstrated across various malignancies. In our study, a low HALP score was significantly associated with advanced pT stage but not with nodal involvement, suggesting its utility may be more reflective of local tumor aggressiveness rather than systemic disease spread. This observation aligns with findings in other malignancies. For instance, Ekici et al. found that in patients with testicular cancer, a low HALP score was significantly associated with advanced T, N, and M stages, emphasizing its potential as a marker of tumor progression (16). Similarly, Zhao et al. demonstrated that low HALP scores were strongly associated with advanced TNM stage in non-small cell lung cancer (17). Additionally, Zhang et al. reported that low HALP scores were associated with advanced lymph node positivity in tongue squamous cell carcinoma, although the association with advanced T stage was not statistically significant (18). However, variability exists, as evidenced by Zhang et al.’s study on lung adenocarcinoma, where a low HALP score did not show a statistically significant association with advanced T stage or N stage (19). These discrepancies underscore the need for further disease-specific validation to clarify the prognostic implications of the HALP score across different cancer types.
The HALP score has emerged as a promising prognostic marker across various malignancies, with its association with recurrence and survival outcomes being increasingly recognized. In our study, a low HALP score was significantly associated with recurrence in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, underscoring its potential as a marker of tumor aggressiveness. This finding is consistent with studies in other malignancies. For instance, in hepatocellular carcinoma, Liu et al. demonstrated that a low HALP score was a strong predictor of early recurrence following radical liver resection (20). Similarly, Zhao et al. found that a low HALP score was significantly associated with recurrence in non-small cell lung cancer while in lung adenocarcinoma, Zhang et al. reported that a low HALP score could predict recurrence risk (17,19). These results highlight the versatility of the HALP score as a prognostic indicator in different cancer types.
In gynecological malignancies, such as endometrial cancer, Wang et al. demonstrated that a low HALP score is an effective prognostic marker for recurrence (21). Additionally, reduced PFS has been reported in patients with malignancies such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors and cervical cancer, further emphasizing the significance of the HALP score in predicting oncological outcomes (22,23). Consistent with these findings, our study confirms the association of a low HALP score with recurrence and contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting its prognostic utility. Notably, this study is the first to evaluate the prognostic value of the HALP score in MIBC, marking an important contribution to literature and paving the way for its potential integration into clinical decision-making.
This study has certain limitations that should be acknowledged while also emphasizing its contributions to literature. The retrospective design, although practical for evaluating prognostic factors in a real-world setting, may limit the standardization of data collection and introduce potential selection bias. The sample size, while sufficient to demonstrate statistically significant findings, may limit the statistical power of subgroup analyses and the generalizability of results. As a single-center study, the findings may not fully capture variations across diverse populations or healthcare systems. Nevertheless, the HALP score was rigorously evaluated as an independent prognostic marker, making this study a valuable foundation for future research. While the absence of combined analyses with other established prognostic factors and the lack of long-term follow-up data may limit the development of a comprehensive prognostic model, the significant associations identified in this study provide strong evidence for the potential clinical utility of the HALP score. Moreover, the influence of adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies on the prognostic value of the HALP score warrants further investigation in larger, multicenter studies. Despite these limitations, this study represents an important step in exploring the prognostic role of the HALP score in MIBC, contributing novel and clinically relevant insights to the field.
DISCUSSION
MIBC is a crucial malignancy that requires a multidisciplinary approach due to its high mortality rate and aggressive clinical course. Therefore, accurate and reliable identification of prognostic markers may improve patient management by contributing to the development of individualised treatment approaches. This study aimed to add unique and clinically relevant findings to the literature by comprehensively evaluating the prognostic value of the HALP score for disease progression and survival.
Pathological factors remain integral in determining the prognosis of muscle-invasive bladder cancer. In our study, while pT stage exhibited a strong association with recurrence, LVI and pathological nodal status (pN stage) did not demonstrate statistically significant predictive value for progression. Notably, PNI emerged as the most robust independent prognostic marker for recurrence, suggesting its potential to enhance existing prognostic models for bladder cancer progression. This finding aligns partially with the work of Karakiewicz et al., who identified pathological staging and LVI as powerful predictors of recurrence but contrasts with Lotan et al., who found no significant association between LVI and recurrence. These discrepancies underscore the variability in the prognostic relevance of LVI across studies and highlight the need for further investigation (10,11).
Preoperative anemia is a marker of systemic health and it is a tumor burden. In this sense, it has been widely studied in the context of oncological outcomes. While our analysis did not reveal a significant relationship between preoperative anemia and recurrence, prior studies have reported conflicting results. Xia et al. identified a significant association between preoperative anemia and early recurrence in bladder and renal cancers, and Furrer et al. demonstrated increased progression risk in anemic patients requiring erythrocyte transfusions (5,12,13). These inconsistencies suggest that the impact of anemia on recurrence may be influenced by additional factors, such as treatment modalities or patient comorbidities, necessitating more nuanced exploration in future studies.
Low preoperative albumin levels, a reflection of nutritional and inflammatory status, have been consistently linked to adverse outcomes in multiple malignancies. Our findings corroborate this, as low albumin levels were significantly associated with increased postoperative recurrence risk (p=0.032). This observation is in line with previous research, such as Djalat et al.’s study in bladder cancer, Liu et al.’s work in gastric cancer and Miura et al.’s findings in non-small cell lung cancer (7,14,15). Collectively, these results highlight hypoalbuminemia as a potential universal marker of poor oncological outcomes, reinforcing its importance in preoperative risk stratification.
The prognostic utility of the HALP score, a composite index incorporating hematological and biochemical parameters, has been demonstrated across various malignancies. In our study, a low HALP score was significantly associated with advanced pT stage but not with nodal involvement, suggesting its utility may be more reflective of local tumor aggressiveness rather than systemic disease spread. This observation aligns with findings in other malignancies. For instance, Ekici et al. found that in patients with testicular cancer, a low HALP score was significantly associated with advanced T, N, and M stages, emphasizing its potential as a marker of tumor progression (16). Similarly, Zhao et al. demonstrated that low HALP scores were strongly associated with advanced TNM stage in non-small cell lung cancer (17). Additionally, Zhang et al. reported that low HALP scores were associated with advanced lymph node positivity in tongue squamous cell carcinoma, although the association with advanced T stage was not statistically significant (18). However, variability exists, as evidenced by Zhang et al.’s study on lung adenocarcinoma, where a low HALP score did not show a statistically significant association with advanced T stage or N stage (19). These discrepancies underscore the need for further disease-specific validation to clarify the prognostic implications of the HALP score across different cancer types.
The HALP score has emerged as a promising prognostic marker across various malignancies, with its association with recurrence and survival outcomes being increasingly recognized. In our study, a low HALP score was significantly associated with recurrence in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, underscoring its potential as a marker of tumor aggressiveness. This finding is consistent with studies in other malignancies. For instance, in hepatocellular carcinoma, Liu et al. demonstrated that a low HALP score was a strong predictor of early recurrence following radical liver resection (20). Similarly, Zhao et al. found that a low HALP score was significantly associated with recurrence in non-small cell lung cancer while in lung adenocarcinoma, Zhang et al. reported that a low HALP score could predict recurrence risk (17,19). These results highlight the versatility of the HALP score as a prognostic indicator in different cancer types.
In gynecological malignancies, such as endometrial cancer, Wang et al. demonstrated that a low HALP score is an effective prognostic marker for recurrence (21). Additionally, reduced PFS has been reported in patients with malignancies such as gastrointestinal stromal tumors and cervical cancer, further emphasizing the significance of the HALP score in predicting oncological outcomes (22,23). Consistent with these findings, our study confirms the association of a low HALP score with recurrence and contributes to the growing body of evidence supporting its prognostic utility. Notably, this study is the first to evaluate the prognostic value of the HALP score in MIBC, marking an important contribution to literature and paving the way for its potential integration into clinical decision-making.
This study has certain limitations that should be acknowledged while also emphasizing its contributions to literature. The retrospective design, although practical for evaluating prognostic factors in a real-world setting, may limit the standardization of data collection and introduce potential selection bias. The sample size, while sufficient to demonstrate statistically significant findings, may limit the statistical power of subgroup analyses and the generalizability of results. As a single-center study, the findings may not fully capture variations across diverse populations or healthcare systems. Nevertheless, the HALP score was rigorously evaluated as an independent prognostic marker, making this study a valuable foundation for future research. While the absence of combined analyses with other established prognostic factors and the lack of long-term follow-up data may limit the development of a comprehensive prognostic model, the significant associations identified in this study provide strong evidence for the potential clinical utility of the HALP score. Moreover, the influence of adjuvant or neoadjuvant therapies on the prognostic value of the HALP score warrants further investigation in larger, multicenter studies. Despite these limitations, this study represents an important step in exploring the prognostic role of the HALP score in MIBC, contributing novel and clinically relevant insights to the field.