AccScience Publishing / EJMO / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EJMO026100115
ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Association between creatinine-to-hemoglobin ratio and advanced disease features in bladder cancer

Raul-Dumitru Gherasim1,2 Orsolya Katalyn Ilona Martha1,2 Călin Chibelean1,2* Andrada-Claudia Tătar3,4 Laurian Ștefan Maxim5,6 Sabin-Octavian Tătau7 Tibor Lorand Reman1,2 Daniel Porav-Hodade1,2
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1 Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, Târgu Mureș, Mureș, Romania
2 Department of Urology, Mureș County Clinical Hospital, Târgu Mureș, Mureș, Romania
3 Histology Department, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science, and Technology of Targu Mures, Mureș, Romania
4 Pathology Department, Mureș County Clinical Hospital, Târgu Mureș, Mureș, Romania
5 Department of Urology, Brașov Emergency Clinical Hospital, Brașov, Romania
6 Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Transilvania University of Brașov, Brașov, Romania
7 Doctoral School of Medicine and Pharmacy, George Emil Palade University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, Târgu Mureș, Mureș, Romania
Received: 6 March 2026 | Revised: 28 March 2026 | Accepted: 9 April 2026 | Published online: 19 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract

Introduction: Bladder cancer (BC) is frequently marked by high recurrence and progression rates, making close follow-up essential. Cystoscopy remains the standard method for surveillance; however, it is invasive, costly, and uncomfortable for patients. Given these limitations, there is increasing interest in identifying minimally invasive biomarkers to support clinical management.

Objectives: This study aims to assess the potential prognostic role of the creatinine-to-hemoglobin ratio (CHR) in individuals with BC.

Methods: A retrospective study was performed on 148 patients with BC treated at the Urology Department of Mureș Clinical County Hospital. Patients’ clinical, pathological, and laboratory data were collected. CHR was calculated from routine blood test parameters. The association between CHR and tumor-related parameters was assessed using statistical testing, primarily employing non-parametric methods and Spearman’s rank correlation analysis.

Results: Elevated CHR values were significantly associated with more advanced tumor stages (median CHR: 0.10 in pT2 vs. 0.07 in pTa; p < 0.001), lower hematocrit levels, and higher tumor grades. CHR demonstrated weak but statistically significant correlations with tumor stage (r = 0.274), grade (r = 0.274), and patient age (r = 0.16). No significant association was observed between CHR and tumor size.

Conclusion: As a marker derived from routine laboratory tests, CHR may provide useful information for the assessment of BC patients, particularly those with advanced disease features. CHR appears to be associated with adverse pathological characteristics and may serve as a supportive indicator of disease burden. These preliminary findings emphasize the need for further prospective studies to determine whether CHR could be integrated into existing risk assessment tools and follow-up strategies.

Keywords
Non-muscle–invasive bladder cancer
Muscle-invasive bladder cancer
Blood-based biomarkers
Risk stratification
Creatinine-to-hemoglobin ratio
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
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Eurasian Journal of Medicine and Oncology, Electronic ISSN: 2587-196X Print ISSN: 2587-2400, Published by AccScience Publishing