A New Prognostic Indicator for Biliary Tract Cancers: The ABIC Score

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Hepatology
• Prognostic Biomarkers

Background:

• Biliary tract cancers (BTC) are a diverse group of malignancies with prognosis influenced by disease stage, curability, and liver function.
• The age-bilirubin-INR-creatinine (ABIC) score is an established prognostic tool for hepatic diseases.
• The utility of the ABIC score in predicting outcomes for BTC patients remains to be fully elucidated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the ABIC score and prognosis in patients with biliary tract cancers.
• To determine if the ABIC score can serve as a predictive factor for survival in both non-metastatic and metastatic BTC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 41 non-metastatic and 73 metastatic BTC patients diagnosed between 2003 and 2025.
• Calculation of the ABIC score for all patients and determination of threshold values using ROC analysis.
• Stratification of patients into low and high ABIC score groups to assess prognostic impact.

Main Results:

• A cutoff ABIC score of 6.89 was identified for non-metastatic BTC, and 7.41 for metastatic BTC.
• Patients with a high ABIC score exhibited significantly shorter median survival times in both non-metastatic and metastatic groups.
• Prognostic factors identified included tumor localization and stage (non-metastatic) and CEA and first-line chemotherapy (metastatic).

Conclusions:

• The ABIC score is a significant prognostic factor for median survival in both non-metastatic and metastatic BTC.
• This finding supports the use of the ABIC score in assessing the prognosis of BTC patients.
• Further research may explore integrating the ABIC score into clinical decision-making for BTC management.