ALB and cancer: Previous studies have identified several risk factors for postoperative morbidity after hepatectomy for patients with HCC.10–15 Preoperative poor nutritional and immunological status have been associated with postoperative morbidity and poor long-term outcomes of patients with malignant tumors.16–21 The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a widely used combined measure of the nutritional and immunological status, and is calculated using serum albumin concentrations and total lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood.