Hardt J, et al. - The clinicians aimed to investigate whether preoperative hypoalbuminemia was an independent risk factor for increased high-grade morbidity after elective rectal cancer resection. For postoperative high-grade morbidity, hypoalbuminemia was an independent risk factor. Serum albumin ought to be used as a prognostic tool to detect patients at risk for adverse outcomes after resection for rectal cancer, as a low-cost and easily accessible test.