ALB and head and neck cancer: Many studies have looked into the relationship between serum albumin and morbidity and mortality rates among surgically treated patients with head and neck cancer, but only in the preoperative period.17, 20, 21, 22, 26, 29, 31,34 The analysis of the most important factor influencing the metabolism of hepatic proteins, i.e., the inflammatory response, has therefore been overlooked.