Association of hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet (HALP) score with testicular tumor aggressiveness and prognosis

Background: The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte and platelet (HALP) score integrates readily available blood markers that reflect systemic inflammation, nutritional status, and immune response, all of which can influence cancer progression. This study investigated the association between the HALP score and clinicopathological characteristics in patients with testicular tumor. Methods: Data of patients who underwent radical orchiectomy for testicular tumors between January 2020 and January 2024 were reviewed. Preoperative serum tumor markers, hemogram parameters and albumin levels were recorded. Tumor stages were recorded from postoperative radiological imaging and serum tumor markers. The association between postoperative results and HALP score was analyzed. Results: A total of 74 male patients were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 30.27 ± 6.42 years. The mean HALP score in the patient group with metastasis and retroperitoneal lypmh node invasion (RPLNI) was statistically significantly lower than the patients without metastasis and RPLNI. HALP score decreased statistically significantly with increasing tumor T stage, N stage and M stage. In addition, the mean HALP score values of patients who received chemotherapy, developed progression and mortality were statistically significantly lower than those of patients who did not. Conclusions: Lower HALP scores are significantly associated with advanced disease and poorer prognosis in patients with testicular tumor. The HALP score, composed of routinely measured blood markers, may serve as a convenient and cost-effective prognostic tool to identify patients at higher risk and guide personalized management strategies.