A comparative study of software programmes for cross-sectional skeletal muscle and adipose tissue measurements on abdominal computed tomography scans of rectal cancer patients

Prognostic value of body composition in patients with digestive tract cancers: A prospective cohort study of 8,267 adults from China

BACKGROUND & AIMS

The characterization and prognostic value of body composition parameter/phenotype based on computed tomography (CT) in patients with digestive tract cancers remain incomplete. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between parameter/phenotype and clinical outcomes in patients with digestive tract cancers.

METHODS

In this prospective cohort study, 8267 patients with digestive tract cancers were assessed using CT scans to determine body composition. Body composition data, including areas of skeletal muscle (SM), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT), were collected at the third lumbar level on CT images obtained within 30 days before surgery. Body composition phenotypes (sarcopenia, cancer cachexia, sarcopenic obesity) were determined based on SM, SAT, and VAT areas. The primary endpoint was overall survival, obtained from electronic medical records and telephone follow-up surveys. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank analyses were employed to compare unadjusted survival, while multivariate survival analyses were conducted using a proportional hazards model adjusted for age, gender, and cancer-node-metastasis (TNM) stages.

RESULTS

Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for all-cause mortality were calculated for the second (Q2), third (Q3), and fourth (Q4) quantiles relative to the first quantile (Q1) for SM areas, revealing adjusted summary HRs of 0.575 (95% CI, 0.361-0.916), 0.419 (95% CI, 0.241-0.729), and 0.384 (95% CI, 0.203-0.726), respectively. Sarcopenia-adjusted summary HRs were 1.795 (95% CI: 1.012-3.181) for male patients and 1.925 (95% CI: 1.065-3.478) for female patients. Cancer cachexia-adjusted summary HRs were 1.542 (95% CI: 1.023-2.324) for male patients and 1.569 (95% CI: 0.820-3.001) for female patients. Sarcopenic obesity-adjusted summary HRs were 1.122 (95% CI: 0.759-1.657) for male patients and 1.303 (95% CI: 0.623-2.725) for female patients. Subgroup analyses indicated varying prognostic values of body composition parameter/phenotype among different cancer types.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest a large SM area is a favorable prognostic indicator, while cancer cachexia and sarcopenia signify poor prognosis in patients with digestive tract cancers. These findings have important implications for the personalized preoperative assessment of body composition in patients with digestive tract cancers.

The role of sarcopenic obesity for the prediction of prognosis of patients with gastrointestinal cancer

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenic obesity (SO) in patients with gastrointestinal cancer is associated with a poor prognosis. We aimed to investigate the prognostic impact of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer, as well as the diagnostic cut-off value of SO in patients with gastrointestinal cancer among Chinese population.

METHODS

We conducted a consecutive cohort study. Between January 2017 and January 2019, 289 patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer were included in our study. Skeletal muscle area, total fat area, and subcutaneous fat area were measured by CT scan. All patients were followed up for 5 years. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were adopted to determine the cut-off values of visceral fat obesity for the prediction of sarcopenia. Based on the cut-off values, patients with sarcopenia combined with visceral fat obesity were divided into the SO group, and the others were divided into the non-sarcopenic obesity (NSO) group. Kaplan-Meier curves and univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models were employed to explore the associations of body composition profiles with 5-year overall survival and disease-specific survival.

RESULTS

Obtained from Youden's Index for ROC for the prediction of 5-year survival, skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) ≤40.02 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥ 126.30 cm2 in men and SMI ≤32.05 cm2/m2 with VFA ≥72.42 cm2 in women indicate a risk of poor prognosis in patients diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer. Patients with SO had poorer 5-year overall survival (OS) than patients with NSO (6.74% vs. 82.84%, p < 0.001), and poorer 5-year DFS (6.74% vs. 81.82%, p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, we found that the long-term mortality risk was approximately 13-fold higher among patients in the SO group compared to those with no conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative assessment of SO is useful not only for monitoring nutritional status but also for predicting 5-year OS in gastrointestinal cancer patients.

Objective comparison of commonly used computed tomography body composition analysis software

OBJECTIVES

Sarcopenia is defined as an age-related, involuntary loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. This condition is increasingly gaining clinical attention, as it has proved a predictor of complications and unfavorable outcomes in several diseases. For analysis of body composition on computed tomography images, several different software packages are used. Extensive research is being conducted globally to establish general cutoff values for different patient groups by combining the results of different studies with meta-analysis. Therefore, it is important that the measurements are independent of the software used. However, clinical software comparisons suggest there are differences between analysis packages, which would complicate establishment of cutoff values. For this study, we compared the eight most used analysis software programs in an objective manner, using a phantom image, to assess if their results can be readily compared.

METHODS

Eight software packages (sliceOmatic, OsiriX, ImageJ/Fiji, Mimics, CoreSlicer, SarcoMeas, 3D Slicer, and Aquarius iNtuition) were objectively evaluated, by performing measurements in a standardized synthetic image, containing fixed muscle and fat compartments with homogeneous radiodensities. For all programs, the measured areas and radiodensities of the regions of interest were assessed.

RESULTS

For sliceOmatic, OsiriX, ImageJ/Fiji, Mimics, CoreSlicer, SarcoMeas, and 3D Slicer, identical results were found, all reporting correct values for muscle and fat areas as well as correct radiodensity values, whereas values reported by Aquarius iNtuition deviated ≤ 5% for area measurements and had slight variation in radiodensity measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Seven of eight software packages (sliceOmatic, OsiriX, ImageJ/Fiji, Mimics, CoreSlicer, SarcoMeas, and 3D Slicer) perform identically, so their results can be readily compared and combined when assessing body composition in computed tomography images. Area measurements acquired with Aquarius iNtuition may differ slightly (≤ 5%) from the other packages.

The Effects of Appropriate Perioperative Exercise on Perioperative Neurocognitive Disorders: a Narrative Review

Perioperative neurocognitive disorders (PNDs) are now considered the most common neurological complication in older adult patients undergoing surgical procedures. A significant increase exists in the incidence of post-operative disability and mortality in patients with PNDs. However, no specific treatment is still available for PNDs. Recent studies have shown that exercise may improve cognitive dysfunction-related disorders, including PNDs. Neuroinflammation is a key mechanism underlying exercise-induced neuroprotection in PNDs; others include the regulation of gut microbiota and mitochondrial and synaptic function. Maintaining optimal skeletal muscle mass through preoperative exercise is important to prevent the occurrence of PNDs. This review summarizes current clinical and preclinical evidence and proposes potential molecular mechanisms by which perioperative exercise improves PNDs, providing a new direction for exploring exercise-mediated neuroprotective effects on PNDs. In addition, it intends to provide new strategies for the prevention and treatment of PNDs.

AI-based fully automatic image analysis: Optimal abdominal and thoracic segmentation volumes for estimating total muscle volume on computed tomography scans

Objectives

Evaluation of sarcopenia from computed tomography (CT) is often based on measuring skeletal muscle area on a single transverse slice. Automatic segmentation of muscle volume has a lower variance and may be a better proxy for the total muscle volume than single-slice areas. The aim of the study was to determine which abdominal and thoracic anatomical volumes were best at predicting the total muscle volume.

Methods

A cloud-based artificial intelligence tool (recomia.org) was used to segment all skeletal muscle of the torso of 994 patients who had performed whole-torso CT 2008-2020 for various clinical indications. Linear regression models for several anatomical volumes and single-slice areas were compared with regard to predicting the total torso muscle volume.

Results

The muscle volume from the tip of the coccyx and 25 cm cranially was the best of the abdominal volumes and was significantly better than the L3 slice muscle area (R2 0.935 vs 0.830, P < 0.0001). For thoracic volumes, the muscle volume between the top of the sternum to the lower bound of the Th12 vertebra showed the best correlation with the total volume, significantly better than the Th12 slice muscle area (R2 0.892 vs 0.775, P < 0.0001). Adjusting for body height improved the correlation slightly for all measurements but did not significantly change the ordering.

Conclusions

We identified muscle volumes that can be reliably segmented by automated image analysis which is superior to single slice areas in predicting total muscle volume.

Associations of Preoperative Nutritional Status and Sarcopenia With Mortality in Patients With Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm After Open and Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair: A Retrospective Study

OBJECTIVE

The effect of preoperative malnutrition and sarcopenia on outcomes in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) after open surgical repair (OSR) and endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair is undefined. The authors conducted the study to address this issue in this population.

DESIGN

A retrospective observational study.

SETTING

A large tertiary hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with AAA who underwent OSR and endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR).

INTERVENTIONS

Evaluation of nutritional status (Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 [NRS 2002] and the Controlling Nutritional Status [CONUT] scores), muscle size (skeletal muscle index), and postoperative parameters.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

A total of 199 patients were reviewed from January 2020 to December 2022. Patients weew categorized into group A (CONUT <4) and group B (CONUT ≥4) based on whether their CONUT scores were less than 4. The mortality (p = 0.004) and the incidence of Clavien-Dindo class III complications (p = 0.007) in group B were higher than those in group A. CONUT score was an independent risk factor for midterm mortality (hazard ratio 1.329; 95% CI, 1.104-1.697; p = 0.002) and Clavien-Dindo class III complications (odds ratio 1.225; 95% CI, 1.012-1.482; p = 0.037) according to univariate and multivariate analyses, whereas NRS 2002 score and sarcopenia were not. Kaplan-Meier curves showed a lower midterm survival rate in group B (log-rank p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

In patients with AAA undergoing OSR or EVAR, a CONUT score ≥4 was associated with increased Clavien-Dindo class III complications and mortality. Preoperative nutritional status should be evaluated and optimized in this high-risk population.

The association between sarcopenia and adverse outcomes after complex endovascular aortic repair

BACKGROUND

Sarcopenia is identified as a predictive factor for adverse outcomes after complex endovascular aortic repair (complex EVAR). Consensus on preferred parameters for sarcopenia is not yet reached. The current study compares three CT-assessed parameters on their association with adverse outcomes after complex EVAR.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective cohort study. Psoas Muscle Index (PMI), Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI), and lean psoas muscle area (LPMA) were examined by CT-segmentation. PMI, SMI, and LPMA were analyzed as continuous variables. In addition, cut-off values from previous research were used to diagnose patients as sarcopenic or non-sarcopenic. Outcomes were: all-cause mortality, major adverse events (MAE), length of hospital stay, and non-home discharge. A sub-analysis was made for severe sarcopenia; sarcopenia combined with low physical performance (gait speed, Time Up and Go test, Metabolic Equivalent of Task-score).

RESULTS

We included 101 patients. A higher PMI (HR=0.590, CI: 0.374-0.930, P=0.023), SMI (HR=0.453, CI: 0.267-0.768, P=0.003), and LPMA (HR=0.559, CI: 0.333-0.944, P=0.029) were associated with a lower risk of mortality. Sarcopenia based on cut-off values for PMI and LPMA was not significantly associated with survival. Sarcopenia based on SMI did present a higher mortality risk (P=0.017). A sub-analysis showed that severely sarcopenic patients were at even higher risk of mortality (P=0.036). None of the parameters were significantly associated with the other outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

SMI had a slightly stronger association with mortality compared to PMI and LPMA. High-risk patients were selected by adding physical performance scores. Future research could focus on complex EVAR-specific PMI and LPMA cut-off values.

Association between body composition and mortality in patients requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support

AIM

To ascertain the association between body composition, including muscle mass and adiposity, and patient mortality in those requiring extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) for acute respiratory failure.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was undertaken of all patients with acute respiratory failure requiring veno-venous (VV) ECMO between January 2015 and December 2019. Automated image segmentation software was used to quantify the cross-sectional area and average radiodensity (in Hounsfield units) of different muscle and fat compartments at the L3 level of whole-body computed tomography (CT) images taken within 48 h of initiation of ECMO support. The primary endpoint was 30-day post-ECMO initiation all-cause mortality. Logistic regression was used to analyse the correlation between CT measurements, co-morbidities, and 30-day survival.

RESULTS

The study included 189 patients (age = 43.8 ± 14.6, sex = 42.3% female). There was no significant association between 30-day survival status and cross-sectional area of muscle or fat. Muscle attenuation (psoas, long spine, and abdominal muscles respectively) at the L3 level were significantly lower in those who died within 30 days of ECMO cannulation (p<0.05). On multivariable analysis including age, sex, and pre-existing respiratory comorbidities, psoas muscle attenuation was an independent predictor of survival at 30 days (OR 0.97; 95% CI 0.94 to 1.00; p=0.047).

CONCLUSIONS

Reduced psoas muscle attenuation is associated with poorer survival outcomes at 30 days post-ECMO cannulation in patients who received VV ECMO support for respiratory failure. Cross-sectional areas of muscle and fat compartments did not correlate with survival outcomes at 30 days even when corrected for height and sex.

Influence of abdominal fat distribution and inflammatory status on post-operative prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

PURPOSE

To evaluate the influence of visceral fat area (VFA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), the systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and total inflammation-based systemic index (AISI) on the postoperative prognosis of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) patients.

METHODS

266 NSCLC patients received surgery from two academic medical centers were included. To assess the effect of abdominal fat measured by computed tomography (CT) imaging and inflammatory indicators on patients' overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS), Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models were used.

RESULTS

Kaplan-Meier analysis showed the OS and PFS of patients in high-VFA group was better than low-VFA group (p < 0.05). AISI and SII were shown to be risk factors for OS and PFS (p < 0.05) after additional adjustment for BMI (Cox regression model II). After further adjustment for VFA (Cox regression model III), low-SFA group had longer OS (p < 0.05). Among the four subgroups based on VFA (high/low) and SFA (high/low) (p < 0.05), the high-VFA & low-SFA group had the longest median OS (108 months; 95% CI 74-117 months) and PFS (85 months; 95% CI 65-117 months), as well as the lowest SII and AISI (p < 0.05). Low-SFA was a protective factor for OS with different VFA stratification (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

VFA, SFA, SII and AISI may be employed as significant prognostic markers of postoperative survival in NSCLC patients. Moreover, excessive SFA levels may encourage systemic inflammation decreasing the protective impact of VFA, which may help to provide targeted nutritional support and interventions for postoperative NSCLC patients with poor prognosis.

Clinical, functional, and opportunistic CT metrics of sarcopenia at the point of imaging care: analysis of all-cause mortality

PURPOSE

This study examines clinical, functional, and CT metrics of sarcopenia and all-cause mortality in older adults undergoing outpatient imaging.

METHODS

The study included outpatients ≥ 65 years of age undergoing CT or PET/CT at a tertiary care institution. Assessments included screening questionnaires for sarcopenia (SARC-F) and frailty (FRAIL scale), and measurements of grip strength and usual gait speed (6 m course). Skeletal muscle area (SMA), index (SMI, area/height2) and density (SMD) were measured on CT at T12 and L3. A modified SMI was also examined (SMI-m, area/height). Mortality risk was studied with Cox proportional hazard analysis.

RESULTS

The study included 416 patients; mean age 73.8 years [sd 6.2]; mean follow-up 2.9 years (sd 1.34). Abnormal grip, SARC-F, and FRAIL scale assessments were associated with higher mortality risk (HR [95%CI] = 2.0 [1.4-2.9], 1.6 [1.1-2.3], 2.0 [1.4-2.8]). Adjusting for age, higher L3-SMA, T12-SMA, T12-SMI and T12-SMI-m were associated with lower mortality risk (HR [95%CI] = 0.80 [0.65-0.90], 0.76 [0.64-0.90], 0.84 [0.70-1.00], and 0.80 [0.67-0.90], respectively). T12-SMD and L3-SMD were not predictive of mortality. After adjusting for abnormal grip strength and FRAIL scale assessments, T12-SMA and T12-SMI-m remained predictive of mortality risk (HR [95%CI] = 0.83 [0.70-1.00] and 0.80 [0.67-0.97], respectively).

CONCLUSION

CT areal metrics were weaker predictors of all-cause mortality than clinical and functional metrics of sarcopenia in our older patient cohort; a CT density metric (SMD) was not predictive. Of areal CT metrics, SMI (area/height2) appeared to be less effective than non-normalized SMA or SMA normalized by height1.

Assessing nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty in adult transplant recipients

The assessment of nutrition status, sarcopenia, and frailty holds significant relevance in the context of adult transplantation, as these factors are associated with an unfavorable prognosis; thus, transplant candidates must undergo a full nutrition assessment. Screening tools may be used to prioritize patients, this can be done using the Nutrition Risk Screening 2002 or Royal Free Hospital-Nutritional Prioritizing Tool. Subsequently, a thorough nutrition-focused physical examination should be conducted to evaluate clinical signs of nutrition deficiencies, fat and muscle loss, and fluid overload; dietary history and current intake must also be assessed. Apart from physical examination, specific testing for sarcopenia and frailty are recommended. For sarcopenia assessment, specifically for muscle quantification, the gold standard is the cross-sectional measurement of the muscle at L3 obtained from a computed tomography scan or magnetic resonance imaging; dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry is also a good tool especially when appendicular skeletal muscle index is calculated. Other more readily available options include phase angle from bioelectrical impedance or bioimpedance spectroscopy. In the sarcopenia assessment, muscle function evaluation is required, handgrip strength stands as the primary test for this purpose; this test is also part of the subjective global assessment and is included in some frailty scores. Finally, for frailty assessment, the Short Physical Performance Battery is useful for evaluating physical frailty, and for a multidimensional evaluation, the Fried frailty phenotype can be used. Specifically for liver transplant candidates, the use of Liver Frailty Index is recommended.

Development and validation of a preoperative CT-based risk scoring system for predicting recurrence-free survival in patients undergoing curative surgery for gastric cancer

PURPOSE

The objective of this study was to establish and validate a preoperative risk scoring system that incorporated both clinical and computed tomography(CT) variables to predict recurrence-free survival (RFS) in gastric cancer(GC) patients who underwent curative resection.

METHOD

We retrospectively included consecutive patients with surgically confirmed GC who underwent preoperative CT scans between October 2017 and January 2022. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was employed in the derivation set to identify clinical and CT variables associated with RFS and to construct a risk score. This risk score was subsequently validated in an independent test set.

RESULTS

A total of 346 patients were included in the study, with 213 in the derivation set and 133 in the test set. Five variables, namely ctEMVI, ctBorrmann, visceral obesity, sarcopenia, and NLR, were independently associated with RFS. In the test set, the preoperative risk score exhibited a c-index of 0.741, which outperformed the predictive accuracy of pathological tumor staging (c-index of 0.673, p = 0.021) at various time points. The preoperative risk score effectively stratified patients into low and high-risk groups.

CONCLUSION

The developed preoperative risk scoring system demonstrated the ability to predict RFS following curative resection in GC patients.

Association of chronic statin use, myopenia, myosteatosis and major morbidity in surgical patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer

Derangements of body composition affect surgical outcomes. Chronic statin use may induce muscle wasting and impair muscle tissue quality. Aim of this study was to evaluate the association of chronic statin use, skeletal muscle area (SMA), myosteatosis and major postoperative morbidity. Between 2011 and 2021, patients undergoing pancreatoduodenectomy or total gastrectomy for cancer, and using statins since at least 1 year, were retrospective studied. SMA and myosteatosis were measured at CT scan. The cut-off for SMA and myosteatosis were determined using ROC curve and considering severe complications as the binary outcome. The presence of myopenia was defined when SMA was lower that the cut-off. A multivariable logistic regression was applied to assess the association between several factors and severe complications. After a matching procedure (1:1) for key baseline risk factors (ASA; age; Charlson comorbidity index; tumor site; intraoperative blood loss), a final sample of 104 patients, of which 52 treated and 52 not treated with statins, was obtained. The median age was 75 years, with an ASA score ≥ 3 in 63% of the cases. SMA (OR 5.119, 95% CI 1.053-24.865) and myosteatosis (OR 4.234, 95% CI 1.511-11.866) below the cut-off values were significantly associated with major morbidity. Statin use was predictive of major complication only in patients with preoperative myopenia (OR 5.449, 95% CI 1.054-28.158). Myopenia and myosteatosis were independently associated with an increased risk of severe complications. Statin use was associated with a higher risk of having major morbidity only in the subgroup of patients with myopenia.

Age as a modifier of the effects of sarcopenia on survival among colon cancer patients after surgery

BACKGROUND

Studies have been conducted to evaluate whether sarcopenia is a predictor for survival in patients with colon cancer postsurgery, but findings have been inconsistent, and effects of age were seldom evaluated.

METHODS

We recruited 133 patients with resectable colon cancer who underwent surgery between January 2014 and December 2017 at a teaching hospital to evaluate the effects of sarcopenia on survival, after adjusting for age and other potential predictors, including visceral adiposity (VA).

RESULTS

Preoperative sarcopenia was associated with worse overall survival (OS: 62.3% vs. 83.8%, p = 0.04) and longer hospital stay (20.6 vs. 14.9 days, p < 0.01) while VA was not. Cox proportional hazards regressions showed that sarcopenia was associated with an adjusted hazard ratio (HR) of 2.91 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-7.86) after adjustment for other independent risk factors, but was not associated with disease free survival. In stratified analyses, we found that sarcopenia was an independent factor for worse OS (adjusted HR = 1.94; 95% CI: 1.11-3.38) among patients >70 years, but not among patients ≤70 years (HR = 0.48; 95% CI: 0.55-4.55).

CONCLUSIONS

Age appeared to be a modifier of the effects of sarcopenia on OS among colon cancer patients postsurgery.

Association of central sensitization, visceral fat, and surgical outcomes in lumbar spinal stenosis

BACKGROUND

Controversy remains regarding predictors of surgical outcomes for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Pain sensitization may be an underlying mechanism contributing to LSS surgical outcomes. Further, obesity is associated with dissatisfaction and poorer outcomes after surgery for LSS. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the relationship between central sensitization (CS), visceral fat, and surgical outcomes in LSS.

METHODS

Patients with LSS were categorized based on their central sensitization inventory (CSI) scores into low- (CSI < 40) and high- (CSI ≥ 40) CSI subgroups. The participants completed clinical outcome assessments preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.

RESULTS

Overall, 60 patients were enrolled in the study (28 men, 32 women; mean age: 62.1 ± 2.8 years). The high-CSI group had significantly higher mean low back pain (LBP), leg pain, and leg numbness visual analogue scale (VAS) scores than the low-CSI group (p < 0.01). The high-CSI group had a significantly higher mean visceral fat area than the low-CSI group (p < 0.01). Postoperatively, LBP VAS score was significantly worse in the high-CSI group. Relative to preoperatively, postoperative leg pain and leg numbness improved significantly in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

We believe that neuro decompression can be effective for LSS surgical outcomes in patients with CS; nonetheless, it should be approached with caution owing to the potential for worsening LBP. Additionally, visceral fat is an important indicator suggesting the involvement of CS.

The sarcopenia index measured using the lumbar paraspinal muscle is associated with prognosis in endometrial cancer

OBJECTIVE

The number of type-II endometrial cancer patients has been increasing and the prognosis is not favorable. We aim to investigate whether sarcopenia index in any of several different muscles could serve as a novel biomarker of prognosis in patients with type-II endometrial cancer.

METHODS

We retrospectively investigated a total of 194 patients at four hospitals. Ninety patients were treated as derivation set and the other 104 patients as validation set. Using preoperative computed tomography images, we measured the horizontal cross-sectional area at the third lumbar spine level: the (i) psoas major, (ii) iliac and (iii) paraspinal muscle. The clinical information including recurrence-free survival and overall survival were retrospectively collected. These results were validated with external data sets of three hospitals.

RESULTS

The median values of the sarcopenia index (cm2/m2) ± standard deviation with the first data of 90 patients using the psoas, iliac and paraspinal muscle were 3.4 ± 1.0, 1.7 ± 0.6 and 12.6 ± 3.2, respectively. In univariate analyses, the sarcopenia indexes measured using the psoas or paraspinal muscle were associated with recurrence-free survival and overall survival. On the other hand, in multivariate analyses, only the sarcopenia index using paraspinal muscle was significantly related to recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio = 3.78, 95% confidence intervals = 1.29-5.97, P = 0.009) and overall survival (hazard ratio = 3.13, 95% confidence interval = 1.18-8.26, P = 0.022). Paraspinal sarcopenia index was also related to overall survival (hazard ratio = 3.74, 95% confidence interval = 1.31-10.72, P = 0.014) even in patients with advanced stage. Serum albumin was significantly correlated with the sarcopenia index (P = 0.012). Within the analysis of the validation set, sarcopenia index using paraspinal muscle was related to recurrence-free survival (hazard ratio = 2.06, P = 0.045) in multivariate analysis and recurrence-free survival (P = 0.009) in patients with advanced stage.

CONCLUSIONS

The sarcopenia index using the paraspinal muscle, not psoas, could be a suitable index to predict recurrence-free survival and overall survival in patients with type-II endometrial cancer even in advanced stage.

Impact of Muscle Measures on Outcome in Patients Receiving Endocrine Therapy for Metastatic Breast Cancer: Analysis of ECOG-ACRIN E2112

BACKGROUND

Observational data investigating the relationship between body habitus and outcomes in breast cancer have been variable and inconsistent, largely centered in the curative setting and focused on weight-based metrics. This study evaluated the impact of muscle measures on outcomes in patients with metastatic breast cancer receiving endocrine-based therapy.

METHODS

Baseline CT scans were collected from ECOG-ACRIN E2112, a randomized phase III placebo-controlled study of exemestane with or without entinostat. A CT cross-sectional image at the L3 level was extracted to obtain skeletal muscle mass and attenuation. Low muscle mass (LMM) was defined as skeletal muscle index <41 cm2/m2 and low muscle attenuation (LMA) as muscle density <25 HU or <33 HU if overweight/obese by body mass index (BMI). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models determined the association between LMM or LMA and progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Correlations between LMM, LMA, and patient-reported outcomes were determined using 2-sample t tests.

RESULTS

Analyzable CT scans and follow-up data were available for 540 of 608 patients. LMM was present in 39% (n=212) of patients and LMA in 56% (n=301). Those with LMA were more likely to have obesity and worse performance status. LMM was not associated with survival (PFS hazard ratio [HR]: 1.13, P=.23; OS HR: 1.05, P=.68), nor was LMA (PFS HR: 1.01, P=.93; OS HR: 1.00, P=.99). BMI was not associated with survival. LMA, but not LMM, was associated with increased frequency of patient-reported muscle aches.

CONCLUSIONS

Both low muscle mass and density are prevalent in patients with hormone receptor-positive metastatic breast cancer. Muscle measures correlated with obesity and performance status; however, neither muscle mass nor attenuation were associated with prognosis. Further work is needed to refine body composition measurements and select optimal cutoffs with meaningful endpoints in specific breast cancer populations, particularly those living with metastatic disease.

Peripheral but not axial muscle mass is associated with early mortality in bone metastatic lung cancer patients at diagnosis

OBJECTIVES

Identification of sarcopenia is a key issue in oncology. Several methods may be used to evaluate muscle mass in patients. Routine cancer follow-up computed tomography (CT) provides axial muscle mass whereas whole-body densitometry (DEXA) measures appendicular lean mass (ALM). Up to now, no studies have assessed, in cancer patients, the correlation between CT and DEXA muscle mass indicators and compared their prognostic value.

METHODS

We included patients with synchronous bone metastases from lung adenocarcinoma at diagnosis. Diagnosis was confirmed by bone biopsy. Skeletal muscle area was determined semi-automatically on initial CT scan at the T7, T12, and L3 vertebral level using Osirix® software. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was calculated as the ratio of muscle area to height squared. Standardised ALM/height squared data were obtained by DEXA assessment within a 30-day window of CT.

RESULTS

A total of 65 patients were included; 47 (72%) were male. Mean±SD age was 65±11.4years. DEXA was available for 46 patients. The performance status was good (<1) for 39 patients. SMI indicators were significantly correlated with each other (rho from 0.3 to 0.7) but moderately correlated with ALM (rho from 0.1 to 0.7). ALM had a good discriminatory ability on 6-month survival (AUC 0.87 [0.76; 0.97]). ALM was associated with early mortality (<6months) (HR=0.29, 95% CI [0.15; 0.57]; P<0.001) but not with later mortality (>6months). In contrast, no significant effect was found for SMI.

CONCLUSIONS

Peripheral muscle mass (standardized ALM by DEXA) but not axial muscle mass (SMI assessed by CT) was associated with early mortality (<6months) suggesting that cancer-induced muscle loss would affect differently appendicular muscles and axial muscles.

Impact of sarcopenia on clinical outcomes for patients with resected hepatocellular carcinoma: a retrospective comparison of Eastern and Western cohorts

BACKGROUND

Patient fitness is important for guiding treatment. Muscle mass, as a reflection thereof, can be objectively measured. However, the role of East-West differences remains unclear. Therefore, we compared the impact of muscle mass on clinical outcomes after liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in a Dutch [the Netherlands (NL)] and Japanese [Japan (JP)] setting and evaluated the predictive performance of different cutoff values for sarcopenia.

METHOD

In this multicenter retrospective cohort study, patients with HCC undergoing liver resection were included. The skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was determined on computed tomography scans obtained within 3 months before surgery. The primary outcome measure was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcome measures were: 90-day mortality, severe complications, length of stay, and recurrence-free survival. The predictive performance of several sarcopenia cutoff values was studied using the concordance index (C-index) and area under the curve. Interaction terms were used to study the geographic effect modification of muscle mass.

RESULTS

Demographics differed between NL and JP. Gender, age, and body mass index were associated with SMI. Significant effect modification between NL and JP was found for BMI. The predictive performance of sarcopenia for both short-term and long-term outcomes was higher in JP compared to NL (maximum C-index: 0.58 vs. 0.55, respectively). However, differences between cutoff values were small. For the association between sarcopenia and OS, a strong association was found in JP [hazard ratio (HR) 2.00, 95% CI [1.230-3.08], P =0.002], where this was not found in NL (0.76 [0.42-1.36], P =0.351). The interaction term confirmed that this difference was significant (HR 0.37, 95% CI [0.19-0.73], P =0.005).

CONCLUSIONS

The impact of sarcopenia on survival differs between the East and West. Clinical trials and treatment guidelines using sarcopenia for risk stratification should be validated in race-dependent populations prior to clinical adoption.

Development and validation of a new equation based on plasma creatinine and muscle mass assessed by CT scan to estimate glomerular filtration rate: a cross-sectional study

Background

Inter-individual variations of non-glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determinants of serum creatinine, such as muscle mass, account for the imperfect performance of estimated GFR (eGFR) equations. We aimed to develop an equation based on creatinine and total lumbar muscle cross-sectional area measured by unenhanced computed tomography scan at the third lumbar vertebra.

Methods

The muscle mass-based eGFR (MMB-eGFR) equation was developed in 118 kidney donor candidates (iohexol clearance) using linear regression. Validation cohorts included 114 healthy subjects from another center (⁵¹Cr-EDTA clearance, validation population 1), 55 patients with chronic diseases (iohexol, validation population 2), and 60 patients with highly discordant creatinine and cystatin C-based eGFR, thus presumed to have atypical non-GFR determinants of creatinine (⁵¹Cr-EDTA, validation population 3). Mean bias was the mean difference between eGFR and measured GFR, precision the standard deviation (SD) of the bias, and accuracy the percentage of eGFR values falling within 20% and 30% of measured GFR.

Results

In validation population 1, performance of MMB-eGFR was not different from those of CKD-EPI_Cr2009 and CKD-EPI_Cr2021. In validation population 2, MMB-eGFR was unbiased and displayed better precision than CKD-EPI_Cr2009, CKD-EPI_Cr2021 and EKFC (SD of the biases: 13.1 vs 16.5, 16.8 and 15.9 mL/min/1.73 m²). In validation population 3, MMB-eGFR had better precision and accuracy {accuracy within 30%: 75.0% [95% confidence interval (CI) 64.0-86.0] vs 51.5% (95% CI 39.0-64.3) for CKD-EPI_Cr2009, 43.3% (95% CI 31.0-55.9) for CKD-EPICr2021, and 53.3% (95% CI 40.7-66.0) for EKFC}. Difference in bias between Black and white subjects was -2.1 mL/min/1.73 m² (95% CI -7.2 to 3.0), vs -8.4 mL/min/1.73 m² (95% CI -13.2 to -3.6) for CKD-EPI_Cr2021.

Conclusion

MMB-eGFR displayed better performances than equations based on demographics, and could be applied to subjects of various ethnic backgrounds.

From Listing to Recovery: A Review of Nutritional Status Assessment and Management in Liver Transplant Patients

Liver transplantation (LT) is a complex surgical procedure requiring thorough pre- and post-operative planning and care. The nutritional status of the patient before, during, and after LT is crucial to surgical success and long-term prognosis. This review aims to assess nutritional status assessment and management before, during, and after LT, with a focus on patients who have undergone bariatric surgery. We performed a comprehensive topic search on MEDLINE, Ovid, In-Process, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed up to March 2023. It identifies key factors influencing the nutritional status of liver transplant patients, such as pre-existing malnutrition, the type and severity of liver disease, comorbidities, and immunosuppressive medications. The review highlights the importance of pre-operative nutritional assessment and intervention, close nutritional status monitoring, individualised nutrition care plans, and ongoing nutritional support and monitoring after LT. The review concludes by examining the effect of bariatric surgery on the nutritional status of liver transplant recipients. The review offers valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for optimising nutritional status before, during, and after LT.

Sarcopenia in cirrhosis: epidemiology, diagnosis, management and prognosis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With the development of many international guidelines, research on sarcopenia has increased rapidly, showing that sarcopenia is predictive of adverse outcomes, including increased mortality and impaired mobility, in patients with cirrhosis. The purpose of this article is to review the current evidence concerning the epidemiology, diagnosis, management and predictive value of sarcopenia on the prognosis of patients with cirrhosis.

RECENT FINDINGS

Sarcopenia is a frequent and lethal complication of cirrhosis. Currently, abdominal computed tomography imaging is the most commonly used method to diagnose sarcopenia. In clinical practice, assessing muscle strength and physical performance, such as by measuring handgrip strength and gait speed, is of increasing interest. In addition to the necessary pharmacological therapy, adequate intake of protein, energy and micronutrients, as well as regular moderate-intensity exercise, can help to minimize sarcopenia. Sarcopenia has been shown to be a strong predictor of prognosis in patients with severe liver disease.

SUMMARY

A global consensus is needed on the definition and operational parameters for the diagnosis of sarcopenia. Further research should focus on developing standardized screening, management and treatment protocols for sarcopenia. Adding sarcopenia to existing models may better exploit the effect of sarcopenia on prognosis in patients with cirrhosis, which should be investigated further.

Abdominal fat and muscle distributions in different stages of colorectal cancer

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to explore the difference of abdominal fat and muscle composition, especially subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue, in different stages of colorectal cancer (CRC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients were divided into 4 groups: healthy controls (patients without colorectal polyp), polyp group (patients with colorectal polyp), cancer group (CRC patients without cachexia), and cachexia group (CRC patients with cachexia). Skeletal muscle (SM), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT) were assessed at the third lumbar level on computed tomography images obtained within 30 days before colonoscopy or surgery. One-way ANOVA and linear regression were used to analyze the difference of abdominal fat and muscle composition in different stages of CRC.

RESULTS

A total of 1513 patients were divided into healthy controls, polyp group, cancer group, and cachexia group, respectively. In the development of CRC from normal mucosa to polyp and cancer, the VAT area of the polyp group was significantly higher than that of the healthy controls both in male (156.32 ± 69.71 cm² vs. 141.97 ± 79.40 cm², P = 0.014) and female patients (108.69 ± 53.95 cm² vs. 96.28 ± 46.70 cm², P = 0.044). However, no significant differences were observed of SAT area between polyp group and healthy controls in both sexes. SAT area decreased significantly in the male cancer group compared with the polyp group (111.16 ± 46.98 cm² vs. 126.40 ± 43.52 cm², P = 0.001), while no such change was observed in female patients. When compared with healthy controls, the SM, IMAT, SAT, and VAT areas of cachexia group was significantly decreased by 9.25 cm² (95% CI: 5.39-13.11 cm², P < 0.001), 1.93 cm² (95% CI: 0.54-3.32 cm², P = 0.001), 28.84 cm² (95% CI: 17.84-39.83 cm², P < 0.001), and 31.31 cm² (95% CI: 18.12-44.51 cm², P < 0.001) after adjusting for age and gender.

CONCLUSION

Abdominal fat and muscle composition, especially SAT and VAT, was differently distributed in different stages of CRC. It is necessary to pay attention to the different roles of subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in the development of CRC.

Abdominal Fat Characteristics and Mortality in Rectal Cancer: A Retrospective Study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association of adipose tissue characteristics with survival in rectal cancer patients. All consecutive patients, diagnosed with stage II-IV rectal cancer between 2010-2016 using baseline unenhanced Computed Tomography (CT), were included. Baseline total, subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue areas (TAT, SAT, VAT) and densities (TATd, SATd, VATd) at third lumbar vertebra (L3) were retrospectively measured. The association of these tissues with cancer-specific and progression-free survival (CCS, PFS) was assessed by using competitive risk models adjusted by age, sex and stage. Among the 274 included patients (median age 70 years, 41.2% females), the protective effect of increasing adipose tissue area on survival could be due to random fluctuations (e.g., sub-distribution hazard ratio-SHR for one cm² increase in SAT = 0.997; 95%confidence interval-CI = 0.994-1.000; p = 0.057, for CSS), while increasing density was associated with poorer survival (e.g., SHR for one Hounsfield Unit-HU increase in SATd = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05, p = 0.002, for CSS). In models considering each adipose tissue area and respective density, the association with CSS tended to disappear for areas, while it did not change for TATd and SATd. No association was found with PFS. In conclusion, adipose tissue density influenced survival in rectal cancer patients, raising awareness on a routinely measurable variable that requires more research efforts.

Long-Term Follow-Up after Surgery for Chronic Pancreatitis: A Bicentric Retrospective Experience

INTRODUCTION

The impact of surgery on nutritional status, pancreatic function, and symptoms of patients affected by chronic pancreatitis (CP) has not been unequivocally determined. This study aimed to evaluate clinical follow-up after surgery for CP in an Italian-Austrian population.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients operated for CP at two high-volume centers between 2000 and 2018 were analyzed. The following parameters were compared between the pre- and postoperative period: nutritional status, endocrine and exocrine pancreatic functions, and chronic pain.

RESULTS

Overall, 186 patients underwent surgery for CP. Among these, 68 (40%) answered a specific follow-up questionnaire. The body mass index showed a significant increase between pre- and postoperative assessments (21.1 vs. 22.5 p = 0.003). Furthermore, a 60% decrease in the prevalence of chronic pain (81 vs. 21%, p < 0.001) was observed. On the contrary, both exocrine and endocrine pancreatic functions pointed toward a worsening after surgery, with consistent higher rates of patients presenting with diabetes mellitus, as well as patients requiring insulin therapy and oral intake of pancreatic enzymes. The analysis of body composition performed on 40 (24%) patients with a complete imaging pack revealed no significant change in the nutritional status after surgery.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION

Despite the good results observed in terms of pain relief, the surgical approach led to a consistent worsening of the global pancreatic function. No significant influence of surgery on the nutritional status of patients was detected.

Sex is a major effect modifier between body composition and mortality in patients with cirrhosis assessed for liver transplantation

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Body composition predicts mortality in patients with cirrhosis. The impact of sex on this association is unknown. We investigated the impact of sex on this association in patients with cirrhosis assessed for liver transplantation.

METHODS

This single-centre retrospective cohort study included adults assessed for liver transplantation. Nutritional status was assessed using the Royal Free Hospital-Global Assessment (RFH-GA). Body composition at the third lumbar vertebrae was determined. SarcopeniaSMI was defined as Skeletal Muscle Index <50 cm2 /m2 in males and <39 cm2 /m2 in females. SarcopeniaPMI was defined as the sex-specific 25th percentile of the Psoas Muscle Index. Patients were assessed for the occurrence of liver transplantation and death. Analyses were stratified by sex.

RESULTS

The cohort comprised 628 patients, including 199 females and 429 males. Both groups were similar in terms of baseline liver disease severity by Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) (p = .98) and nutritional status (p = .24). SarcopeniaSMI was present in 41% of males compared to 27% of females (p < .001). In the male cohort, when adjusted for age and MELD, sarcopeniaPMI (aHR 1.74, 95% CI 1.08-2.80) and RFH-GA (aHR 1.40, 95% CI 1.03-1.90) remained independent predictors of mortality. Adipose tissue had no impact on outcomes in males. In female patients, adipose tissue (TATI or VATI depending on the multivariable model) was independently associated with mortality, whereas sarcopenia and malnutrition were not.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrates that male patients were susceptible to low muscle mass, whereas female patients were not. Future research in this patient population should minimize sex-related bias and present data for both groups separately.

Correlation of reduced temporal muscle thickness and systemic muscle loss in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients

PURPOSE

Reduced temporal muscle thickness (TMT) has recently been postulated as a prognostic imaging marker and an objective tool to assess patients frailty in glioblastoma. Our aim is to investigate the correlation of TMT and systemic muscle loss to confirm that TMT is an adequate surrogate marker of sarcopenia in newly diagnosed glioblastoma patients.

METHODS

TMT was assessed on preoperative MR-images and skeletal muscle area (SMA) was assessed at the third lumbar vertebra on preoperative abdominal CT-scans. Previous published TMT sex-specific cut-off values were used to classify patients as 'patient at risk of sarcopenia' or 'patient with normal muscle status'. Correlation between TMT and SMA was assessed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

RESULTS

Sixteen percent of the 245 included patients were identified as at risk of sarcopenia. The mean SMA of glioblastoma patients at risk of sarcopenia (124.3 cm2, SD 30.8 cm2) was significantly lower than the mean SMA of patients with normal muscle status (146.3 cm2, SD 31.1 cm2, P < .001). We found a moderate association between TMT and SMA in the patients with normal muscle status (Spearman's rho 0.521, P < .001), and a strong association in the patients at risk of sarcopenia (Spearman's rho 0.678, P < .001).

CONCLUSION

Our results confirm the use of TMT as a surrogate marker of total body skeletal muscle mass in glioblastoma, especially in frail patients at risk of sarcopenia. TMT can be used to identify patients with muscle loss early in the disease process, which enables the implementation of adequate intervention strategies.

Impact of muscle mass on survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma after liver transplantation beyond the Milan criteria

BACKGROUND

Access to the liver transplant waitlist for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) depends on tumour presentation, biology, and response to treatments. The Milan Criteria (MC) represent the benchmark for expanded criteria that incorporate additional prognostic factors. The purpose of this study was to determine the added value of skeletal muscle index (SMI) in HCC patients beyond the MC.

METHOD

Patients with HCC that were transplanted beyond the MC were included in this retrospective multicentre study. SMI was quantified using the Computed Tomography (CT) within 3 months prior to transplantation. Cox regression models were used to identify predictors of overall survival (OS). The discriminative performance of SMI extended Metroticket 2.0 and AFP models was also assessed.

RESULTS

Out of 889 patients transplanted outside the MC, 528 had a CT scan within 3 months prior to liver transplantation (LT), of whom 176 (33%) were classified as sarcopenic. The median time between assessment of the SMI and LT was 1.8 months (IQR: 0.77-2.67). The median follow-up period was 5.1 95% CI [4.7-5.5] years, with a total of 177 recorded deaths from any cause. In a linear regression model with SMI as the dependent variable, only male gender (8.55 95% CI [6.51-10.59], P < 0.001) and body mass index (0.74 95% CI [0.59-0.89], P < 0.001) were significant. Univariable survival analysis of patients with sarcopenia versus patients without sarcopenia showed a significant difference in OS (HR 1.44 95% CI [1.07 - 1.94], P = 0.018). Also the SMI was significant (HR 0.98 95% CI [0.96-0.99], P = 0.014). The survival difference between the lowest SMI quartile versus the highest SMI quartile was significant (log-rank: P = 0.005) with 5 year OS of 57% and 71%, respectively. Data from 423 patients, describing 139 deaths, was used for multivariate analysis. Both sarcopenia (HR 1.45 95% CI [1.02 - 2.05], P = 0.036) and SMI were (HR 0.98 95% CI [0.95-0.99], P = 0.035) significant. On the survival scale this translates to a 5 year OS difference of 11% between sarcopenia and no sarcopenia. Whereas for SMI, this translates to a survival difference of 8% between first and third quartiles for both genders.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, we can conclude that higher muscle mass contributes to a better long-term survival. However, for individual patients, low muscle mass should not be considered an absolute contra-indication for LT as its discriminatory performance was limited.

Loss of adipose tissue or skeletal muscle during first-line gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel therapy is associated with worse survival after second-line therapy of advanced pancreatic cancer

AIM

Progression of cachexia indicated by decreased body weight and composition is associated with poor survival of advanced pancreatic cancer (APC). There are limited data concerning the prognostic effect of cachexia on second-line chemotherapy (L2). We aimed to assess the impact of cachexia progression during first-line therapy (L1) on survival after L2.

METHODS

We reviewed patients with gemcitabine/nab-paclitaxel (GEM/nabPTX)-refractory APC who underwent L2 with modified FOLFIRINOX or S-1 between 2015 and 2019 in our institution. We determined clinicopathological data including body composition parameters: subcutaneous fat area (SFA), visceral fat area (VFA), and skeletal muscle index (SMI). Correlations of changes in these parameters, as well as their effect on overall survival after L2 (OS2), were examined.

RESULTS

Median rates of change in SMI, SFA, and VFA were 0.19%, -4.17%, and -18.39%, respectively, in 59 patients during L1. Although there was moderate correlation in rate of change between SFA and VFA, there was no correlation between SMI and other parameters. We defined loss of SFA, VFA, and SMI as decreases greater than 8.5%, 34.1%, and 8.7%, respectively. Median OS2 of patients with loss in any of these parameters was significantly shorter than in patients without loss (3.83 vs. 8.73 months). Multivariate analysis revealed that loss in any parameters, performance status, and C-reactive protein/albumin ratio were independent negative prognostic factors.

CONCLUSION

Loss of adipose tissue or skeletal muscle during L1 had a considerable impact on OS2 in APC refractory to GEM/nabPTX.

Associations between visceral fat chronic low back pain and central sensitization in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

BACKGROUND

Pain sensitization may be one of the mechanisms contributing to chronic low back pain (CLBP).

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between visceral fat, CLBP, and central sensitization (CS); describe the relationship between low back pain (LBP) intensity and CS; and identify possible correlation between visceral fat and LBP intensity.

METHODS

Patients with CLBP were divided using their CS inventory (CSI) scores into low- (CSI < 40) and high-CSI (CSI ⩾ 40) subgroups. We compared computed tomography (CT) measurements and scores for association with pain according to the visual analogue scale (VAS) between the two groups.

RESULTS

The low-CSI and the high-CSI groups had 47 patients (67.1%; 21 men, 26 women) and 23 patients (32.9%; 11 men and 12 women), respectively. The high-CSI group had a significantly higher mean VAS score (p< 0.01) and estimated mean visceral fat area (p< 0.05) than the low-CSI group. There was a moderate positive correlation between VAS score and visceral fat (standardised partial regression coefficient: 0.659, p< 0.01) in the high-CSI group according to multiple linear regression analysis adjusted for age and sex.

CONCLUSIONS

Visceral fat is associated with CLBP, regardless of sex or age, and may be a potential therapeutic target for CLBP with CS.

Associations of intermuscular adipose tissue and total muscle wasting score in PG-SGA with low muscle radiodensity and mass in nonmetastatic colorectal cancer: A two-center cohort study

Backgrounds

The patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) is one of the screening criteria for malnutrition, the skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) and skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) are associated with survival in colorectal cancer patients. Body composition parameters can be easily assessed; however, few studies have examined the association between total muscle wasting scores in PG-SGA and body composition parameters and two muscle abnormalities.

Methods

This cohort study included 1,637 stage I-III CRC patients from 2 clinical centers in China, who were enrolled in the training cohort (n = 1,005) and validation cohort (n = 632). Baseline data were collected prospectively from patients including age, BMI, staging, gait speed, hand grip strength (HGS), peak expiratory flow (PEF), neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), intermuscular adipose tissue (IMAT), visceral fat area (VFA) and total muscle wasting score in PG-SGA. Relevant risk factors were subjected to logistic regression analysis and Cox regression analysis to identify characteristics associated with muscle abnormalities and survival. Based on the logistic model results, normograms were established to predict muscle abnormalities, and its discrimination and calibration were assessed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and calibration curve. The Kaplan-Meier curves were used to assess the survival of colorectal cancer patients with malnutrition or sarcopenia in an inflammatory state (assessed by NLR).

Results

The mean age of all participants was 57.7 ± 10.6 years (56.9% males) and the prevalence of low SMD and low SMI was 32.2 and 39.5%, respectively. Low SMD rate was significantly associated with age, TNM stage, BMI, IMAT, walking speed, total muscle wasting score and NRS2002 score by logistic regression analysis (p &lt; 0.05). Low SMI rate was significantly correlated with age, NLR, BMI, PEF, handgrip strength, calf circumference, walking speed, total muscle wasting score and NRS2002 score (p &lt; 0.05). The AUCs of the diagnostic nomograms were 0.859 (95% CI, 0.831–0.886) for low SMD and 0.843 (95% CI, 0.813–0.871) for low SMI in the validation cohort. We also found that patients with colorectal cancer with malnutrition or sarcopenia had a worse prognosis when NLR ≥3.5.

Conclusion

Muscle abnormalities and malnutrition are strongly associated with mortality in patients with non-metastatic colorectal cancer. Early identification and intervention of the associated risk factors may offer new ways to improve patient prognosis.

Quantification of chemotherapy-induced changes in body composition in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult lymphoma using standard of care CT imaging

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this study was to use computed tomography (CT) imaging to quantify chemotherapy-induced changes in body composition (BC) in pediatric, adolescent, and young adult (AYA) patients with lymphoma and to compare image-derived changes in BC measures to changes in traditional body mass index (BMI) measures.

METHODS

Skeletal muscle (SkM), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) volumes were manually segmented using low-dose CT images acquired from a 10-year retrospective, single-site cohort of 110 patients with lymphoma. CT images and BMI percentiles (BMI%) were acquired from baseline and first therapeutic follow-up. CT image segmentation was performed at vertebral level L3 using 5 consecutive axial CT images.

RESULTS

CT imaging detected significant treatment-induced changes in BC measures from baseline to first follow-up time points, with SAT and VAT significantly increasing and SkM significantly decreasing. BMI% measures did not change from baseline to first follow-up and were not significantly correlated with changes in image-derived BC measures. Patients who were male, younger than 12 years old, diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and presented with stage 3 or 4 disease gained more adipose tissue and lost more SkM in response to the first cycle of treatment compared to their clinical counterparts.

CONCLUSIONS

Standard of care CT imaging can quantify treatment-induced changes in BC that are not reflected by traditional BMI assessment. Image-based monitoring of BC parameters may offer personalized approaches to lymphoma treatment for pediatric and AYA patients by guiding cancer treatment recommendations and subsequently enhance clinical outcomes.

KEY POINTS

• Standard of care low-dose CT imaging quantifies chemotherapy-induced changes in body composition in pediatric, adolescent, and young adults with lymphoma. • Body mass index could not detect changes in body composition during treatment that were quantified by CT imaging. • Pediatric and AYA patients who were male, younger than 12 years old, and diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, and presented with stage 3 or 4 disease gained more adipose tissue and lost more skeletal muscle tissue in response to the first cycle of treatment compared to their clinical counterparts.

Visceral Obesity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

While obesity measured by body mass index (BMI) has been paradoxically associated with reduced risk and better outcome for lung cancer, recent studies suggest that the harm of obesity becomes apparent when measured as visceral adiposity. However, the prevalence of visceral obesity and its associations with demographic and tumor features are not established. We therefore conducted an observational study of visceral obesity in 994 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients treated during 2008-2020 at our institution. Routine computerized tomography (CT) images of the patients, obtained within a year of tumor resection or biopsy, were used to measure cross-sectional abdominal fat areas. Important aspects of the measurement approach such as inter-observer variability and time stability were examined. Visceral obesity was semi-quantified as visceral fat index (VFI), the fraction of fat area that was visceral. VFI was found to be higher in males compared to females, and in former compared to current or never smokers. There was no association of VFI with tumor histology or stage. A gene expression-based measure of tumor immunogenicity was negatively associated with VFI but had no bearing with BMI. Visceral obesity is appraisable in routine CT and can be an important correlate in lung cancer studies.

Preoperative Body Composition Combined with Tumor Metabolism Analysis by PET/CT Is Associated with Disease-Free Survival in Patients with NSCLC

Objective. To evaluate the relationship between preoperative primary tumor metabolism and body composition in patients with NSCLC and analyze their effects on DFS. Method. A retrospective study was conducted on 154 patients with NSCLC. All patients were scanned by baseline 18F-FDG PET/CT. SUVmax (maximum standard uptake value) of primary tumor, liver SUVmean (mean standard uptake value), and spleen SUVmean were measured by AW workstation. The skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle mass index (SMI), skeletal muscle radiation density (SMD), visceral fat area (VFA), visceral adipose tissue index (VATI), and skeletal muscle visceral fat ratio (SVR) were measured by ImageJ software. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was used to evaluate the impact of the above parameters on DFS. Results. Compared with the low SUVmax group of primary tumors, the mean values of SMA, VFA, and VATI in the high SUVmax group were significantly higher. In addition, there were obvious differences in histopathological type, pathological differentiation, AJCC stage, and T stage between the two groups. Univariate analysis of DFS showed that VFA, VATI, pathological differentiation, tumor SUVmax, AJCC stage, tumor T stage, and N stage all affected the DFS of patients except for the parameters reflecting skeletal muscle content. Multivariate regression analysis showed that only VFA and SUVmax were associated with DFS. Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that high SUVmax, low VFA, high T stage, and high N stage were related to the decrease of DFS. Conclusion：Preoperative 18F-FDG PET/CT could comprehensively evaluate the primary tumor SUVmax, skeletal muscle, and visceral fat in patients with NSCLC. The combination of primary tumor SUVmax and visceral fat area can well evaluate the prognosis of patients with NSCLC.

Cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass at the level of the third cervical vertebra (C3) in patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND

Low skeletal muscle mass is associated with adverse outcomes in patients with cancer. For patients with head and neck cancer (HNC), skeletal muscle mass is often assessed at the third cervical vertebra on head and neck imaging. Due to the unavailability of standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass in patients with head and cancer, there is heterogeneousness of cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass described in literature. Therefore, we aim to provide standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass in HNC patients.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was performed. Between 2008 and 2018, HNC patients with head and neck imaging were included. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) was manually delineated at the level of the third cervical vertebra and corrected for patients squared height to obtain the cervical skeletal muscle mass index. Gender and body-mass index specific cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass were calculated based on mean cervical skeletal muscle mass index minus 2 standard deviations as suggested in literature.

RESULTS

Of the 1,415 included patients, the majority was male (69.8%) and had a body mass index below 25 kg/m2 (59.2%). A primary tumor localization in the oropharynx (35.3%) and a tumor, node, metastasis stage IV tumor (60.5%) were most frequently observed. Cervical skeletal muscle mass index was significantly correlated with gender (r2=0.4, P<0.01) and body mass index (r2=0.4, P<0.01). For male patients with a body mass index <25 and ≥25 kg/m2, a cervical skeletal muscle mass index of respectively ≤6.8 and ≤8.5 cm2/m2 was defined for low skeletal muscle mass. For female patients with a body mass index <25 and ≥25 kg/m2, a cervical skeletal muscle mass index of respectively ≤5.3 and ≤6.4 cm2/m2 was defined for low skeletal muscle mass.

CONCLUSIONS

This study is the first to provide standardized cut-off values for low skeletal muscle mass at the level of the third cervical vertebra in patients with HNC. This information may aid in the uniformity of low skeletal muscle mass definition in research.

CT-Derived Body Composition Assessment as a Prognostic Tool in Oncologic Patients: From Opportunistic Research to Artificial Intelligence-Based Clinical Implementation

CT-based body composition measures are well established in research settings as prognostic markers in oncologic patients. Numerous retrospective studies have shown the role of objective measurements extracted from abdominal CT images of skeletal muscle, abdominal fat, and bone mineral density in providing more accurate assessments of frailty and cancer cachexia in comparison with traditional clinical methods. Quantitative CT-based measurements of liver fat and aortic atherosclerotic calcification have received relatively less attention in cancer care but also provide prognostic information. Patients with cancer routinely undergo serial CT scans for staging, treatment response, and surveillance, providing the opportunity for performing quantitative body composition assessment as part of routine clinical care. The emergence of fully automated artificial intelligence-based segmentation and quantification tools to replace earlier time-consuming manual and semi-automated methods for body composition analysis will allow these opportunistic measures to transition from the research realm to clinical practice. With continued investigation, the measurements may ultimately be applied to achieve more precise risk stratification as a component of personalized oncologic care.

The Impact of Low Skeletal Muscle Mass on Short- and Long-Term Outcomes After Cytoreductive Surgery and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

BACKGROUND

Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a potentially curative treatment for peritoneal metastases from colorectal cancer (CRC) or pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP). Because of the considerable morbidity of this treatment, optimal patient selection is key. This study aimed to assess the impact of low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) on outcomes after CRS-HIPEC.

METHODS

Patients who underwent CRS-HIPEC between 2014 and 2020 at a tertiary center were included. SMM was measured on computed tomography by means of the L3 muscle index. Postoperative complications and survival outcomes were compared between groups by use of logistic regression and Kaplan-Meier survival analyses.

RESULTS

Of 284 included patients, 149 had low SMM. Occurrence of severe postoperative complications did not differ between groups (28.9% for patients with low vs. 34.1% for patients with normal SMM). Low SMM was not associated with postoperative complications (p = 0.344). For CRC patients, no significant differences were observed in disease-free (DFS) or overall survival (OS) between patients with low (median DFS 7 months [IQR 4-14], median OS 33 months [IQR 14-NR]) and patients with normal SMM (median DFS 8 months [IQR 5-20], median OS 35 months [IQR 18-NR]). Regarding PMP, survival outcomes did not significantly differ between groups (3-year DFS 47.3% for patients with low SMM vs. 54.5% for patients with normal SMM, p = 0.676; 3-year OS 70.8% vs. 90.9% respectively, p = 0.172).

CONCLUSIONS

Low SMM could not be identified as a predictor of severe complications or survival outcomes after CRS-HIPEC.

Determination of Low Muscle Mass by Muscle Surface Index of the First Lumbar Vertebra Using Low-Dose Computed Tomography

The muscle index of the first vertebra (L1MI) derived from computed tomography (CT) is an indicator of total skeletal muscle mass. Nevertheless, the cutoff value and utility of L1MI derived from low-dose chest CT (LDCT) remain unclear. Adults who received LDCT for health check-ups in 2017 were enrolled. The cutoff values of L1MI were established in subjects aged 20-60 years. The cutoff values were used in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients to determine muscle quantity. A total of 1780 healthy subjects were enrolled. Subjects (n = 1393) aged 20-60 years were defined as the reference group. The sex-specific cutoff values of L1MI were 26.2 cm²/m² for males and 20.9 cm²/m² for females. Six subjects in the COPD group (6/44, 13.6%) had low L1MI. COPD subjects with low L1MI had lower forced expiratory volume in one second (0.81 ± 0.17 vs. 1.30 ± 0.55 L/s, p = 0.046) and higher COPD assessment test scores (19.5 ± 2.6 vs. 15.0 ± 4.9, p = 0.015) than those with normal L1MI. In conclusion, LDCT in health assessments may provide additional information on sarcopenia.

Visceral Adipose Tissue Influence on Health Problem Development and Its Relationship with Serum Biochemical Parameters in Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Literature Review

Background

The amount of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) tends to increase with age and is associated with several health problems, such as cardiometabolic diseases, increased infections, and overall mortality.

Objectives

This review provides a general assessment of how visceral adiposity correlates with the development of health problems and changes in serum biochemical parameters in middle-aged and older adults.

Methods

We searched specific terms in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) databases for VAT articles published in the English language between 2009 and 2019 related to older adults.

Results

The search found twenty-three publications in this period, of which nine were excluded. The publications had a population aged between 42 and 83 years and correlated the VAT area ratio with several comorbidities (such as pancreatitis, depression, cancer, and coronary heart disease) and serum biochemical parameters.

Conclusion

Further research on the association between visceral obesity and the emergence of health problems and the relationship between VAT and changes in serum biochemical parameters in older individuals should deepen the understanding of this connection and develop preventive actions.

Sarcopenia in Children with Solid Organ Tumors: An Instrumental Era

Sarcopenia has recently been studied in both adults and children and was found to be a prognostic marker for adverse outcome in a variety of patient groups. Our research showed that sarcopenia is a relevant marker in predicting outcome in children with solid organ tumors, such as hepatoblastoma and neuroblastoma. This was especially true in very ill, high-risk groups. Children with cancer have a higher likelihood of ongoing loss of skeletal muscle mass due to a mismatch in energy intake and expenditure. Additionally, the effects of cancer therapy, hormonal alterations, chronic inflammation, multi-organ dysfunction, and a hypermetabolic state all contribute to a loss of skeletal muscle mass. Sarcopenia seems to be able to pinpoint this waste to a high degree in a new and objective way, making it an additional tool in predicting and improving outcome in children. This article focuses on the current state of sarcopenia in children with solid organ tumors. It details the pathophysiological mechanisms behind sarcopenia, highlighting the technical features of the available methods for measuring muscle mass, strength, and function, including artificial intelligence (AI)-based techniques. It also reviews the latest research on sarcopenia in children, focusing on children with solid organ tumors.

Evaluation of different tools for body composition assessment in colorectal cancer - a systematic review

BACKGROUND

The nutritional status of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) impacts on treatment response and morbidity. An effective evaluation of the body composition includes the measurements of fat and visceral fat-free mass and is currently being used in the diagnosis of the nutritional status. The better understanding regarding nutritional tools for body composition evaluation in CRC patients may impact on the outcome.

METHODS

Systematic review conducted according to Preferred Items of Reports for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A literature search was performed using the BVS (LILACS), PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Scopus, and Web of Science databases.

RESULTS

For the initial search, 97 studies were selected and 51 duplicate manuscripts were excluded. Thus, 46 were reviewed and seven studies included with a total of 4,549 patients. Among them were one clinical trial, one prospective study (cohort), two retrospective cohort and two cross-sectional studies. All studies included body composition evaluated by computed tomography, one with bioelectrical impedance, one with handgrip strength, and two employed mid-arm muscle circumference and body mass index.

CONCLUSION

Current evidence suggests that computed tomography has better accuracy in the diagnosis of sarcopenia, visceral fat, and myopenia among individuals with CRC. Further studies are needed to identify cutoff points for these changes aggravated by CRC.

High Systemic Immune Inflammation Index Is Associated With Low Skeletal Muscle Quantity in Resectable Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma

Background and Aims

Failing immune surveillance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is related to poor prognosis. PDAC is also characterized by its substantial alterations to patients’ body composition. Therefore, we investigated associations between the host systemic immune inflammation response and body composition in patients with resected PDAC.

Methods

Patients who underwent a pancreatectomy for PDAC between 2004 and 2016 in two tertiary referral centers were included. Skeletal muscle mass quantity and muscle attenuation, as well as subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue at the time of diagnosis, were determined by CT imaging measured transversely at the third lumbar vertebra level. Baseline clinicopathological characteristics, laboratory values including the systemic immune inflammation index (SIII), postoperative, and survival outcomes were collected.

Results

A total of 415 patients were included, and low skeletal muscle mass quantity was found in 273 (65.7%) patients. Of the body composition indices, only low skeletal muscle mass quantity was independently associated with a high (≥900) SIII (OR 7.37, 95% CI 2.31-23.5, p=0.001). The SIII was independently associated with disease-free survival (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.12-3.04), and cancer-specific survival (HR 2.21, 95% CI 1.33-3.67). None of the body composition indices were associated with survival outcomes.

Conclusion

This study showed a strong association between preoperative low skeletal muscle mass quantity and elevated host systemic immune inflammation in patients with resected PDAC. Understanding how systemic inflammation may contribute to changes in body composition or whether reversing these changes may affect the host systemic immune inflammation response could expose new therapeutic possibilities for improving patients’ survival outcomes.

Computed Tomography Assessment of Sarcopenic Myosteatosis for Predicting Overall Survival in Colorectal Carcinoma: Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

As the US population ages, cancer incidence and prevalence are projected to increase. In the last decade, there has been an increased interest in the opportunistic use of computed tomography (CT) scan data to predict cancer prognosis and inform treatment based on body composition measures, especially muscle measures for sarcopenia.

OBJECTIVE

This article aimed to perform a systematic review of current literature related to CT assessment of muscle attenuation values for myosteatosis in colorectal cancer (CRC) survival prediction.

RESULTS

Initial broad search of CT and CRC yielded 4234 results. A more focused search strategy narrowed this to 129 research papers, and 13 articles met the final inclusion criteria. Twelve of 13 studies found a statistically significant decrease in overall survival according to Hounsfield unit (HU)-based sarcopenia, with hazard ratios ranging from 1.36 to 2.94 (mean, 1.78). However, the specific criteria used to define myosteatosis by CT varied widely, with attenuation thresholds ranging from 22.5 to 47.3 HU, often further subdivided by sex and/or body mass index.

CONCLUSIONS

Current evidence suggests that a strong association between CT-based muscle attenuation values for myosteatosis assessment correlates with overall survival in CRC. However, more research is needed to verify these findings and determine appropriate threshold values for more diverse patient populations. Because CRC patients are staged and followed by CT, the opportunity exists for routine objective myosteatosis assessment in the clinical setting.

Skeletal muscle wasting and long-term prognosis in patients undergoing rectal cancer surgery without neoadjuvant therapy

BACKGROUND

Derangement of body composition has been associated with dismal long-term survival in several gastrointestinal cancers including rectal tumors treated with neoadjuvant therapies. The role of specific preoperative anthropometric indexes on the oncologic outcomes of patients undergoing upfront surgery for rectal cancer has not been investigated. The aim of the study is to evaluate the association of body composition and overall survival in this specific cohort.

METHODS

Lumbar computed tomography images, obtained within the 30 days previous to surgery, between January 2009 and December 2016, were used to calculate population-specific thresholds of muscle mass (sarcopenia), subcutaneous and visceral adiposity, visceral obesity, sarcopenic obesity, and myosteatosis. These body composition variables were related with overall survival (OS), tumor-specific survival (TSS), and disease-free survival (DFS). OS, TSS, and DFS were evaluated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of mortality, tumor-specific mortality, and recurrence, and data were presented as hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

During the study period, 411 patients underwent rectal resection for cancer, and among these, 129 were without neoadjuvant chemoradiation. The median follow-up was 96.7 months. At the end of the follow-up, 41 patients (31.8%) had died; of these, 26 (20.1%) died for tumor-related reasons, and 36 (27.1%) experienced disease recurrence. One-, three-, and five-year OS was 95.7%, 86.0%, and 76.8% for non-sarcopenic patients versus 82.4%, 58.8%, and 40.0% for sarcopenic ones respectively (p < 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival curves comparing sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients showed a significant difference in terms of OS (log-rank < 0.0001). Through multivariate Cox regression, overall mortality risk was associated only with sarcopenia (HR 1.96; 95%CI 1.03-3.74; p = 0.041). Disease stage IV and III (HR 13.75; 95% CI 2.89-65.6; p < 0.001 and HR 4.72; 95% CI 1.06-21.1; p = 0.043, respectively) and sarcopenia (HR 2.62; 95% CI 1.22-5.6; p = 0.013) were independently associated with TSS. The other body composition indexes investigated showed no significant association with prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

These results support the inclusion of body composition assessment for prognostic stratification of rectal cancer patients undergoing upfront resection.

Piloting a training program in computed tomography (CT) skeletal muscle assessment for Registered Dietitians

BACKGROUND

Consensus definitions for disease-associated malnutrition and sarcopenia include reduced skeletal muscle mass as a diagnostic criterion. There is a need to develop and validate techniques to assess skeletal muscle in clinical practice. Skeletal muscle mass can be precisely quantified from computed tomography (CT) images. This pilot study aimed to train Registered Dietitians (RD) to complete precise skeletal muscle measurements using CT.

METHODS

Purposive sampling identified RDs employed in clinical areas where CT scans are routinely performed. CT training included: 1) a 3-day training session focused on manual segmentation of skeletal muscle cross-sectional areas (cm² ) from abdominal CT images at the third lumber (L3) vertebra, using SliceOmatic® software, and 2) a precision assessment to quantify the intra- and inter-observer precision error of repeated skeletal muscle measurements (30 images in duplicate). Precision error is reported as the root mean standard deviation (cm² ) and % coefficient of variation (%CV), our primary performance indicator was defined as a precision error <2%.

RESULTS

Five RDs completed CT training. RDs were from three clinical areas (cancer care (N=1), surgery (N=2), and critical care (N=1). RDs precision error was low and below the minimal acceptable error of <2%; intra-observer error was ≤1.8 cm² (range 0.8 - 1.8 cm² ) or ≤1.5% (range 0.8 - 1.5%) and inter-observer error was 1.2 cm² or 1.1%.

CONCLUSION

RDs can be trained to perform precise CT skeletal muscle measurements. Increasing capacity to assess skeletal muscle is a first step toward developing this technique for use in clinical practice.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE STATEMENT

There is significant interest from both researchers and clinicians to undertake the measurement of skeletal muscle. Reduced skeletal muscle mass places individuals at risk of experiencing adverse outcomes and is a diagnostic criterion for disease-associated malnutrition and sarcopenia. In this study we piloted a training program in computed tomography (CT)-skeletal muscle assessments for RDs, and demonstrated after completion of the program RDs were able to perform CT skeletal muscle measurements with high precision. The addition of new tools to the comprehensive nutrition assessment tool box may benefit clinical practice in multiple ways including improved identification of patients with reduced skeletal muscle mass, individualization of interventions, and monitoring effectiveness of interventions over time. Other clinicians may also benefit from knowing about their patients' skeletal muscle mass to help identify risk and make treatment decisions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.