The present study aims to evaluate the pretherapeutic Fibrinogen-Albumin-Ratio Index (FARI), as currently reliable biomarkers to predict therapy response and prognosis of patients with advanced vulvar cancer are missing. Data of 124 consecutive patients, who underwent primary resection for vulvar cancer ≥ pT1b, were retrospectively analyzed. Associations between the FARI and disease recurrence were assessed fitting receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and binary logistic regression models; univariate and multivariable Cox regression models for disease-specific survival (DSS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were performed. A pretherapeutic low FARI cut at its median (<9.67) is significantly associated with younger age (65.5 vs. 74.0 years) and higher risk of recurrence (52.4% vs. 26.2%). The ROC analysis calculates the area under the curve (AUC) of the FARI for a PFS < 6 months of 0.700 and for a DSS < 12 months of 0.706, outperforming fibrinogen and albumin alone. The FARI remained independently predictive for PFS (HR 0.84, 95% CI [0.99−1.03], p = 0.009) and DSS (HR 0.82, 95% CI [0.70−0.99], p = 0.019), also in multivariable survival analysis. Despite the FARI’s promising predictive and prognostic value, however, further elucidation of its precise mode of action is warranted before clinical application as it appears to rely only on subtle changes of fibrinogen levels.
Keywords: albumin; biomarker; fibrinogen; prognosis; vulvar cancer.