Clin Nutr. 2026 Mar 30;60:106644. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106644. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Nutritional status and inflammatory processes serve as significant factors that contribute to the development and progression of cancer cachexia. The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score is an emerging marker for assessing nutritional and inflammatory status, however, its association with overall survival (OS) in patients with cancer cachexia remains unknown. This study aims to explore the prognostic value of the HALP score in patients with cancer cachexia.
METHODS: This is a multicenter cohort study that includes 3150 cancer patients diagnosed with cachexia between June 2012 and December 2019. The primary outcome is overall survival (OS) and the recommended cutoff point for the HALP score is calculated using the optimal stratification method. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and multivariable Cox regression analyses are used to explore the association between the HALP score and OS. Restricted cubic spline and stratified analysis are used to further illustrate the association between HALP score and OS.
RESULTS: The median age of the included participants is 60 years and 59.3% is male. Cancer patients with cachexia have lower HALP scores which decreases with TNM staging progress. The optimal cut-off value for HALP associated with OS is 22.13. High HALP is associated with better OS in patients with cachexia (p < 0.0001) and presents in most cancer types. After adjusting for all confounders, high HALP is associated with a significant reduction in all-cause mortality (HR, 0.80, 0.71-0.89, p < 0.001). Further analysis indicates that this association varied by sex, showing greater benefit among females (HR, 0.68, 0.56-0.82, p < 0.001). High HALP shows the stronger protective effects when combined with favorable clinical characteristics (e.g., younger age, surgery, normal blood indices, etc.) corresponding to lower HALP group.
CONCLUSIONS: The HALP score is an independent prognostic factor in patients with cancer cachexia, especially among females. These findings suggest that HALP may serve as an effective prognostic indictor for cachexia patients and provide insights for clinical risk assessment and management decisions.
PMID:41966680 | DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2026.106644
