In univariable analysis patient age (P = 0.006), malnutrition (P = 0.001) and co-morbidity (P = 0.01) were predictive of mortality, as were low pre-operative serum albumin (P = 0.01) and haemoglobin (P = 0.04), and high serum alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.004) and red cell distribution width (RDW, P<0.001); haemoglobin and RDW values were not independent. Here, ALB is linked to malnutrition.