Introduction:
Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a cancer arising from the intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts Here, we evaluated the prognostic significance of a new inflammation-based scoring system derived from preoperative lymphocyte count x albumin (LA) in cholangiocarcinoma patients.

Material and methods:
The study included 36 patients who underwent surgical treatment for cholangiocarcinoma between 2010 and 2021. We defined the LA as lymphocyte count (/L)×albumin (g/L) The cut-off point was determined by ROC curves. The patients were divided into two groups according to the cut-off point: Group1 (Low LA) and Group2 (High LA). These groups were compared for clinical characteristics, recurrence, and overall survival.

Results:
The patients were divided into two groups as Group1 (Low LA) and Group2 (High LA) according to the cut-off point of 5400. The male sex was dominant in the groups (76.2% vs. 86.7%; p:0.434). Hgb was lower (11.7 vs. 13.7; p:0.002) and CA19.9 was higher (310 vs. 71; p:0.013) in Group1. The length of hospital stay, reoperation, and 90-day readmission rate, were similar in the groups. The tumor size (2.8 cm vs. 3.13 cm; p:0.683) was similar in the groups. At follow-up, 33% of the patients in Group1 and 6.7% of the patients in Group2 developed recurrence (p:0.104). The survival was shorter in Group 1 (18 vs. 41.5 months; p:0.003).

Conclusions:
Our study established that an LA score below the cut-off point of 5400 was a prognostic factor associated with reduced survival. LA scores can be used to predict prognosis and make more individualized decisions in cholangiocarcinoma.