ALB and gastric cancer: Low serum Alb levels have been associated with poor outcomes, and larger studies report an increased risk of death when serum Alb falls <4.2 g/dL at diagnosis.18 In patients with stage III/IV gastric cancer, serum Alb levels were significantly lower than in patients with early-stage disease, with a reported cutoff of 4.0 g/dL.19 This suggests that serum Alb reflects the progression of gastric cancer and may be useful in predicting the prognosis of patients receiving end-of-life care at home.