C-Reactive Protein/Albumin Ratio and Clinicopathological Features in Ovarian Cancer: A Prospective Study

Introduction Evidence suggests inflammation plays a key role in the development of ovarian malignancy. This study investigated the relationship between the C-reactive protein (CRP) to serum albumin (Alb) ratio and clinicopathological parameters in ovarian cancer patients. The goal was to determine if this readily measurable inflammatory marker could provide insights into disease severity. Methods A prospective study of 94 patients with histopathologically confirmed ovarian cancer (diagnosed between November 2020 and December 2023) investigated the relationship between the pretreatment C-reactive protein to albumin ratio (CRP/Alb), and various clinicopathological characteristics, including age, distant metastasis, lymph node involvement, ascites, tumor grade, and surgical stage. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic accuracy of the CRP/Alb ratio and establish a cutoff value. Results Patients with metastasis, lymph node involvement, ascites, higher tumor grade, and advanced stages (III and IV) had significantly higher median CRP/Alb ratios compared to those without these features (1.43 vs. 0.78, 1.47 vs. 0.51, 1.16 vs. 0.46, 1.46 vs. 0.52, and stages I/II (0.49/0.95) vs. stages III/IV (1.47/1.58), respectively; all p < 0.001). ROC analysis determined an optimal cutoff value of 1.08. A preoperative CRP/Alb ratio above this cutoff indicated severe disease based on clinicopathological parameters. Conclusion In conclusion, elevated pretreatment CRP/Alb ratios correlated with more severe and advanced ovarian cancer.