Serum Uric Acid as a Biomarker for Survival in Solid Cancer Patients

Objective: Serum uric acid (SUA), the end product of purine metabolism, has been implicated in cancer as both an antioxidant and pro-oxidant.Emerging evidence suggests that SUA may serve as a prognostic biomarker, particularly for overall survival (OS).This study evaluated the prognostic significance of SUA in patients with solid tumors. Materials and Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 132 patients with solid malignancies (breast, colon, rectum, pancreas, and gastric) treated at a single center between August 2023 and December 2024.SUA levels were measured pre-and post-chemotherapy.Patients were categorized into high vs. low SUA groups based on median values (4.3 mg/dL pre-treatment, 4.2 mg/dL post-treatment).OS was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared via log-rank tests.Results: At a median follow-up of 21 months, 25.0% of patients had died.Baseline SUA above 4.3 mg/dL was associated with significantly shorter median OS (9.6 months [95% CI 7.6-11.6])compared to SUA 4.3 mg/dL (12.1 months [10.1-14.3];p=0.03).A similar survival detriment was observed for high post-chemotherapy SUA (>4.2 mg/dL: 9.6 months vs. 4.2:12.1 months, p=0.03).Traditional prognostic factors such as stage, liver metastasis, and sex were not statistically significant. Conclusion:Elevated SUA is associated with worse OS in solid tumors and may serve as a practical, low-cost prognostic biomarker.Its consistent association across tumor types supports its integration into risk models.Prospective studies are needed to validate these findings and clarify underlying mechanisms.