Effect of sarcopenia on clinical outcomes following digestive carcinoma surgery: a meta-analysis

Nutrition support in pancreatic cancer: An expert statement on practical implementation of French guidelines

The European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism (ESPEN) guidelines, shortened in 2021, are widely used for providing the most suitable nutrition support to patients with cancer. However, there is a lack of specialized guidelines for different cancer types. In 2020, members of the French medical and surgical societies involved in digestive oncology, nutrition and supportive care developed the Thésaurus National de Cancérologie Digestive (TNCD) practice guidelines which are specific nutritional and physical activity guidelines for patients with digestive cancers. These guidelines were recently updated in 2022. This review discusses the French intergroup guidelines, specifically in the context of pancreatic cancer at different stages of the disease. Pancreatic cancer is highly prevalent in Europe, with an increasing worldwide incidence over the last three decades. In France alone, about 14,000 new cases of pancreatic cancer are reported annually. More than 60% of patients with pancreatic cancer reportedly experience malnutrition and other nutritional issues which are known to have a negative impact on quality of life, treatment tolerability, general morbidity, and mortality. Given that the recommendations of TNCD guidelines correlate to other guidelines like the International Study Group on Pancreatic Surgery (ISGPS; for the perioperative setting), ESPEN and Spanish Society of Medical Oncology (SEOM) guidelines, their use can be suitably applied in other European countries. This review discusses the recommendations issued by nutrition guidelines, the challenges with effective integration of nutrition support in oncologic treatment, and the proposed algorithms on patient care pathways for pancreatic cancer management in the clinical setting.

A web-based calculator combining Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) predicts postoperative complications among young elderly patients with gastric cancer

AIM

Nutritional status and frailty are significant indicators reflecting physiological reserve. We sought to establish and validate a web-based calculator containing the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index (GNRI) and the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI) together with general clinical information to predict total complications among elderly patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

This was a prospective cohort study of 582 elderly patients with gastric cancer in a tertiary hospital in China. Nutritional status and frailty were assessed by the GNRI and the TFI, respectively. The nomogram was built and further converted into a web-based calculator. The receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to evaluate the discrimination of the nomogram. Calibration was assessed using the calibration curve and Hosmer-Lemeshow test via the bootstrap resampling procedure. The decision curve analyses (DCAs) were employed to quantify the net benefits of a certain threshold probability for assessing the clinical values.

RESULTS

The GNRI (odds ratio [OR], 0.921; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.895-0.949; P < 0.001), the TFI (OR, 1.243; 95% CI, 1.113-1.386; P < 0.001), surgical approach (OR, 1.913; 95% CI, 1.073-3.408; P = 0.028) and comorbidity (OR = 1.599, 95%CI = 1.028-2.486, P = 0.037) were independently associated with total complications. The nomogram demonstrated good discrimination (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve: training cohort, 0.735; validation cohort, 0.777) and calibration (P = 0.135). The DCA curves of the nomogram also showed good positive net benefits.

CONCLUSIONS

The web-based calculator incorporating the GNRI, the TFI, surgical approach, and comorbidity could successfully predict total complications among elderly patients with gastric cancer with good accuracy in a convenient manner. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2023; 23: 205-212.

Relation of Malnutrition and Nosocomical Infections in Cancer Patients in Hospital: An Observational Study

Aim

To investigate the relation between malnutrition and nosocomial infections (NI) in hospitalized cancer patients.

Methods

This observational, cross-sectional, noninterventional, descriptive study was conducted in a 500-bed university hospital in Valencia (Spain). Adult cancer patients admitted to the oncology ward were consecutively enrolled regardless of their nutritional status between November 2019 and March 2020. Patients were nutritionally assessed 24 to 48 hours after admission. Body weight, height and BMI, body composition through measurement of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA), and muscle strength and functionality using hand grip strength (HGS) were prospectively collected. The diagnosis of malnutrition and sarcopenia was assessed using the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) criteria and the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP) criteria, respectively. Patients were followed up during their hospital stay or outpatient oncology visits to identify possible NI.

Results

A total of 107 patients were included in this study (mean age 66 years; 66.4% were men). The most frequent reason for admission was cancer treatment (19.6%), followed by infections (18.7%) and digestive tract symptoms (18.7%). Overall, 77.5% (83/107) of the patients were malnourished at admission according to the GLIM criteria, while 52.3% (56/107) were sarcopenic. Nosocomial infections (NI) were significantly more frequent in malnourished (52.1%; 25/48) and severely malnourished (42.1%; 8/19) patients, compared with well-nourished patients without malnutrition (25%; 10/40; p=0.035). The mean length of hospital stay was 13.9 days, significantly longer in patients with an NI compared to those without infections (18.6 vs. 10.8 days, p < 0.024).

Conclusion

This study evidenced the need to implement a routine protocol for the nutritional assessment and support of cancer patients at risk of malnutrition and sarcopenia to reduce the risk of NI during their hospital stay.

Skeletal Muscle Change During Neoadjuvant Therapy and Its Impact on Prognosis in Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

Gastrointestinal cancers are the most common malignant tumors worldwide. As the improvement of survival by surgical resection alone for cancers is close to the bottleneck, recent neoadjuvant therapy has been emphasized and applied in the treatment. Despite the advantage on improving the prognosis, some studies have reported neoadjuvant therapy could reduce skeletal muscle and therefore affect postoperative outcomes. However, the conclusions are still controversial.

Methods

PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Cochrane Library were searched from inception to September 2, 2021. The inclusion criteria were observational studies, published in English, of individuals aged ≥18 years who underwent neoadjuvant therapy with gastrointestinal cancers and were assessed skeletal muscle mass before and after neoadjuvant therapy, with sufficient data on skeletal muscle change or the association with clinical outcomes. Meta-analysis was conducted by using the STATA 12.0 package when more than two studies reported the same outcome.

Results

A total of 268 articles were identified, and 19 studies (1,954 patients) were included in the review. The fixed effects model showed that the risk of sarcopenia increased 22% after receiving neoadjuvant therapy (HR=1.22, 95% CI 1.14, 1.31, Z=4.286, P&lt;0.001). In the random effects model, neoadjuvant therapy was associated with skeletal muscle loss, with a standardized mean difference of -0.20 (95% CI -0.31, -0.09, Z=3.49, P&lt;0.001) and a significant heterogeneity (I2 =62.2%, P&lt;0.001). Multiple meta regression indicated that population, neoadjuvant therapy type, and measuring tool were the potential sources of heterogeneity. The funnel plot revealed that there was no high publication bias in these studies (Begg’s test, P=0.544) and the sensitivity analysis showed stable results when separately excluding studies. For the postoperative outcomes, the results revealed that muscle loss during neoadjuvant therapy was significantly related to overall survival (HR=2,08, 95% CI =1.47, 2.95, Z=4.12, P&lt;0.001, I2 = 0.0%), but not related to disease-free survival and other short-term outcomes.

Conclusions

This systematic review and meta-analysis revealed that skeletal muscle decreased significantly during neoadjuvant therapy in patients with gastrointestinal cancers and skeletal muscle loss was strongly associated with worse overall survival. More high-quality studies are needed to update and valid these conclusions in a more specific or stratified way.

Systematic Review Registration

[https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/], identifier PROSPERO (CRD42021292118)

Sarcopenia Predicts Relevant Clinical Outcomes in Biliary Tract Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The purpose of this meta-analysis was to analyze the influences of sarcopenia on clinical outcomes in patients with biliary tract cancer (BTC). A systematic literature search was performed in November 2021. Some studies that reported the impacts of sarcopenia on the prognosis of patients with BTC were included. The overall hazard ratios (HRs), overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and odds ratio (OR) for major postoperative complications were calculated using a fixed- or random effects. In the 18 studies, 3261 patients were enrolled for analysis. Based on defining sarcopenia by muscle mass, sarcopenia predicted OS, and based on defining sarcopenia by muscle density, HR was 2.10 (95% CI 1.72-2.56) and HR was 2.12 (95% CI 1.46- 3.10). Patients with sarcopenia had poorer RFS, and HR was 2.18 (95% CI 1.75-2.71). The incidence rate of major postoperative complication increased compared with those without sarcopenia (OR, 1.45; 95% Cl, 1.07-1.96). Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for poor OS and RFS in patients with BTC. Sarcopenia is associated with the occurrence of major postoperative complications. This study provides advice that clinicians should provide importance to the assessment of skeletal muscle status and provide suitable nutritional supports and exercise program to reduce the sarcopenia in patients with BTC.

The Predictive Values of Five Sarcopenia Screening Tools on Clinical Outcomes Following Surgery in Patients with Gastric Cancer: A Prospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The association between strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs and falls (SARC-F), strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls and calf circumference (SARC-CalF), Ishii score chart, the short version of mini sarcopenia risk assessment (MSRA-5), the full version of mini sarcopenia risk assessment (MSRA-7) and clinical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer were unclear. We aimed to investigate the predictive values of the above five sarcopenia screening tools on clinical outcomes following surgery in patients with gastric cancer.

METHODS

The clinical data of consecutive patients who would undergo gastrectomy from May 2020 to October 2020 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University were prospectively collected. On the first admission day, patients' characteristics, Nutrition risk screening 2002 (NRS 2002), the above five sarcopenia screening tools and anthropometric measurements were preoperatively collected. Within 24 hours after discharge, operation information, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) stage and clinical outcomes in hospital (postoperative complications, hospitalization expenditures and postoperative hospital stay) were collected. Three months after discharge, clinical outcomes out of hospital (hospital readmissions and mortality) were collected. Multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the independent predictors for clinical outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 263 patients were finally included in the study, with the average age being 62.44 years. The prevalence of sarcopenia risk ranged from 3.42% to 73.76%. For the above five sarcopenia screening tools, multivariate analyses showed that sarcopenia risk indicated by SARC-CalF was an independent predictor for postoperative complications (OR=3.145 [95%CI: 0.594, 16.665], P=0.037), prolonged postoperative hospital stay (B=2.383 [95%CI: 0.377, 4.388], P=0.020), increased hospitalization expenditures (B=1.305 [95%CI: 0.402, 2.208], P=0.005) and 3-month hospital readmissions (HR=3.626 [95%CI: 1.126, 11.676], P=0.031). Sarcopenia risk indicated by Ishii score chart was an independent predictor for postoperative complications (OR=6.491 [95%CI: 1.514, 27.840], P=0.012) and hospitalization expenditures (B=0.767 [95%CI: 0.065, 1.469], P=0.032). Sarcopenia risk indicated by MSRA-7 was an independent predictor for prolonged postoperative hospital stay (B=1.636 [95%CI: 0.119, 3.153], P=0.035)and increased hospitalization expenditures (B=0.831 [95%CI: 0.146, 1.516], P=0.018).

CONCLUSION

Among the above five sarcopenia screening tools, SARC-CalF seemed to have better predictive values on clinical outcomes. Preoperative gastric cancer patients with sarcopenia risk indicated by SARC-CalF could have a higher risk of postoperative complications, prolonged postoperative hospital stay, increased hospitalization expenditures and 3-month hospital readmissions.

Predictive value of preoperative handgrip strength on postoperative outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal tumors: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the predictive value of preoperative handgrip strength on postoperative outcomes in patients with gastrointestinal tumors.

METHODS

Databases including Cochrane Library, Pubmed, Embase, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete were searched for articles published from the establishment of database until August 7, 2021. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted the data, and evaluated the quality.

RESULTS

Eight studies were included, involving five prospective and three retrospective cohort studies with 2291 participants. The prevalence of preoperative low handgrip strength ranged from 11.8 to 62.7%. Preoperative low handgrip strength was associated with an increased risk of total complications (OR = 2.23, 95%CI = 1.43-3.50), pneumonia (OR = 5.16, 95%CI = 3.17-8.38), ileus (OR = 2.48, 95%CI = 1.09-5.65), and short-term mortality (OR = 7.28, 95%CI = 1.90-27.92).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review and meta-analysis indicated that preoperative HGS had important value to predict certain adverse postoperative outcomes among patients with GI tumors. Low handgrip strength criteria, definition of total complications, and country are the potential sources of heterogeneity, and more research are required to test and update these results.

Multidisciplinary consensus on nutritional and metabolic therapy in enhanced recovery after abdominal surgery programs: NutRICA Project

BACKGROUND

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care pathways include evidence-based items designed to accelerate recovery after surgery. Interdisciplinarity is one of the key points of ERAS programs.

OBJECTIVE

To prepare a consensus document among the members of the Nutrition Area of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) and the Spanish Group for Multimodal Rehabilitation (GERM), in which the goal is to homogenize the nutritional and metabolic management of patients included in an ERAS program.

METHODS

69 specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition and 85 members of the GERM participated in the project. After a literature review, 79 statements were proposed, divided into 5 sections: 17 of general characteristics, 28 referring to the preoperative period, 4 to the intraoperative, 13 to the perioperative and 17 to the postoperative period. The degree of consensus was determined through a Delphi process of 2 circulations that was ratified by a consistency analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, in 61 of the 79 statements there was a consistent agreement, with the degree of consensus being greater among members of the SEEN (64/79) than members of the GERM (59/79). Within the 18 statements where a consistent agreement was not reached, we should highlight some important nutritional strategies such as muscle mass assessment, the start of early oral feeding or pharmaconutrition.

CONCLUSION

Consensus was reached on the vast majority of the nutritional measures and care included in ERAS programs. Due to the lack of agreement on certain key points, it is necessary to continue working closely with both societies to improve the recovery of the surgical patients.

Association between CT-Based Preoperative Sarcopenia and Outcomes in Patients That Underwent Liver Resections

Simple Summary

Cancer cachexia often includes sarcopenia, which is characterized by a progressive, generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength, combined with fatty infiltration into the muscle. Sarcopenia has been considered a patient-specific imaging biomarker for predicting outcomes after cancer surgery. The present study aimed to evaluate whether preoperative sarcopenia was associated with postoperative outcomes and survival in patients that underwent liver resections. Sarcopenia, assessed by preoperative CT imaging, was present in two-thirds of patients. Independent risk factors for sarcopenia were age, male sex, ASA score ≥ 3, and malignancies. Based on CT assessment alone, sarcopenia had no impact on clinical outcomes or overall survival after hepatectomy.

Abstract

This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate whether preoperative sarcopenia, assessed by CT imaging, was associated with postoperative clinical outcomes and overall survival in patients that underwent liver resections. Patients operated on between January 2014 and February 2020 were included. The skeletal muscle index (SMI) was measured at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on preoperative CT scans. Preoperative sarcopenia was defined based on pre-established SMI cut-off values. The outcomes were postoperative morbidity, length of hospital stay (LOS), and overall survival. Among 355 patients, 212 (59.7%) had preoperative sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia were significantly older (63.5 years) and had significantly lower BMIs (23.9 kg/m²) than patients without sarcopenia (59.3 years, p < 0.01, and 27.7 kg/m², p < 0.01, respectively). There was no difference in LOS (8 vs. 8 days, p = 0.75), and the major complication rates were comparable between the two groups (11.2% vs. 11.3%, p = 1.00). The median overall survival times were comparable between patients with sarcopenia and those without sarcopenia (15 vs. 16 months, p = 0.87). Based on CT assessment alone, preoperative sarcopenia appeared to have no impact on postoperative clinical outcomes or overall survival in patients that underwent liver resections. Future efforts should also consider muscle strength and physical performance, in addition to imaging, for preoperative risk stratification.

Comparison of five sarcopenia screening tools in preoperative patients with gastric cancer using the diagnostic criteria of the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to compare the performance of five sarcopenia screening tools in preoperative patients with gastric cancer, including strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, and falls; strength, assistance with walking, rise from a chair, climb stairs, falls, and calf circumference (SARC-CalF); Ishii score chart; short version of the mini sarcopenia risk assessment; and full version of the mini sarcopenia risk assessment.

METHODS

We conducted a cross-sectional study of consecutive patients undergoing a gastrectomy between May 2020 and October 2020. Sarcopenia was diagnosed per the diagnostic criteria proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). Data on the five sarcopenia screening tools, patient characteristics, nutrition risk screening 2002, and diagnostic indicators of sarcopenia were collected preoperatively, and pathological characteristics of the tumor were collected postoperatively. Based on the EWGSOP2 criteria, the clinical validity of the sarcopenia tools was measured using sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value. A receiver operator characteristic curve and area under curve were applied to compare the overall screening accuracy, and a Youden index was calculated to determine the optimal cutoff value of each tool.

RESULTS

We included 260 participants age 62.38 ± 11.21 y. Based on the EWGSOP2 criteria, the prevalence of sarcopenia and severe sarcopenia were 8.46% and 4.62%, respectively. Moreover, the prevalence of sarcopenia risk ranged from 3.46% to 73.85% based on the five screening tools. Of these tools, SARC-CalF had the largest area under the curve (0.896) with moderate-to-high sensitivity (86.36%) and high specificity (92.86%). For SARC-CalF, the cutoff value of 10 reached the highest Youden index, and the corresponding sensitivity and specificity were 81.82% and 93.44%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

Among the above five screening tools, SARC-CalF appeared to be the optimal choice to screen sarcopenia in preoperative patients with gastric cancer.

Sarcopenia diagnosis using different criteria as a predictor of early mortality in patients undergoing hemodialysis

OBJECTIVES

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a public health problem, causing secondary sarcopenia. The aim of this study was to evaluate sarcopenia using the definitions proposed by European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People in 2010 (EWGSOP₂₀₁₀) and 2019 (EWGSOP₂₀₁₉) as an independent prognostic factor for worse survival in patients with CKD undergoing hemodialysis.

METHODS

Muscle mass, muscle strength, and physical performance were assessed in a cohort of patients with CKD on hemodialysis. The sample consisted of 127 patients (40% >60 y of age) and 36 patients (28.3%) died after a median follow-up length of 23.5 mo (interquartile range= 14.9 - 29). The EWGSOP₂₀₁₀ and EWGSOP₂₀₁₉ definitions were used for diagnosing sarcopenia. Sarcopenia association with mortality by both definitions was investigated using Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. The area under the curve, sensitivity, specificity, positive, and negative predictive values for both definitions were also compared.

RESULTS

Patients diagnosed with sarcopenia by both criteria had almost three times higher risk for mortality (95% confidence interval,1.45-6.06 and 1.44-6.13, respectively). Patients classified with severe sarcopenia by both definitions had a significantly lower survival, even after the adjusted analysis. The areas under the curve for EWGSOP₂₀₁₀ and EWGSOP₂₀₁₉ did not significantly differ. The sensitivity/specificity analysis was considered similar for both criteria, and around 70% of the patients was correctly classified.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia, notably severe sarcopenia, diagnosed by EWGSOP₂₀₁₀ or EWGSOP₂₀₁₉ criteria, is an independent prognostic factor for worse survival in this population. Early detection with effective interventions may decrease the higher mortality risk among patients with sarcopenia and CKD.

Paradigm shift in gastrointestinal surgery − combating sarcopenia with prehabilitation: Multimodal review of clinical and scientific data

A growing body of evidence has demonstrated the prognostic significance of sarcopenia in surgical patients as an independent predictor of postoperative complications and outcomes. These included an increased risk of total complications, major complications, re-admissions, infections, severe infections, 30 d mortality, longer hospital stay and increased hospitalization expenditures. A program to enhance recovery after surgery was meant to address these complications; however, compliance to the program since its introduction has been less than ideal. Over the last decade, the concept of prehabilitation, or “pre-surgery rehabilitation”, has been discussed. The presurgical period represents a window of opportunity to boost and optimize the health of an individual, providing a compensatory “buffer” for the imminent reduction in physiological reserve post-surgery. Initial results have been promising. We review the literature to critically review the utility of prehabilitation, not just in the clinical realm, but also in the scientific realm, with a resource management point-of-view.

Multidisciplinary consensus on nutritional and metabolic therapy in enhanced recovery after abdominal surgery programs: NutRICA Project

BACKGROUND

The Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) care pathways include evidence-based items designed to accelerate recovery after surgery. Interdisciplinarity is one of the key points of ERAS programs.

OBJECTIVE

To prepare a consensus document among the members of the Nutrition Area of the Spanish Society of Endocrinology and Nutrition (SEEN) and the Spanish Group for Multimodal Rehabilitation (GERM), in which the goal is to homogenize the nutritional and metabolic management of patients included in an ERAS program.

METHODS

69 specialists in Endocrinology and Nutrition and 85 members of the GERM participated in the project. After a literature review, 79 statements were proposed, divided into 5 sections: 17 of general characteristics, 28 referring to the preoperative period, 4 to the intraoperative, 13 to the perioperative and 17 to the postoperative period. The degree of consensus was determined through a Delphi process of 2 circulations that was ratified by a consistency analysis.

RESULTS

Overall, in 61 of the 79 statements there was a consistent agreement, with the degree of consensus being greater among members of the SEEN (64/79) than members of the GERM (59/79). Within the 18 statements where a consistent agreement was not reached, we should highlight some important nutritional strategies such as muscle mass assessment, the start of early oral feeding or pharmaconutrition.

CONCLUSION

Consensus was reached on the vast majority of the nutritional measures and care included in ERAS programs. Due to the lack of agreement on certain key points, it is necessary to continue working closely with both societies to improve the recovery of the surgical patients.

Sarcopenia predicts worse postoperative outcomes and decreased survival rates in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Previous studies have shown an association of sarcopenia with adverse short- and long-term outcomes in multiple gastrointestinal cancer types. We aimed to investigate the prognostic value of sarcopenia on the postoperative outcomes and survival rates of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

METHODS

A systematic literature search was performed using the PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Google Scholar, and Scopus databases. We included studies that compared postoperative outcomes or survival rates in sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients with CRC.

RESULTS

A total of 44 observational studies, comprising 18,891 patients, were included. The pooled prevalence of sarcopenia was 37% (n = 7009). The pooled analysis revealed an association between sarcopenia and higher risk of total postoperative complications (23 studies, OR = 1.84; 95% CI 1.35-2.49), postoperative severe complications (OR = 1.72; 95% CI 1.10-2.68), postoperative mortality (OR = 3.21; 95% CI 2.01-5.11), postoperative infections (OR = 1.40; 95% CI 1.12-1.76), postoperative cardiopulmonary complications (OR = 2.92; 95% CI 1.96-4.37), and prolonged length of stay (MD = 0.77; 95% CI 0.44-1.11) after colorectal cancer surgery. However, anastomotic leakage showed comparable occurrence between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients (OR = 0.99; 95% CI 0.72 to 1.36). Regarding survival outcomes, sarcopenic patients had significantly shorter overall survival (25 studies, HR = 1.83; 95% CI = 1.57-2.14), disease-free survival (HR = 1.55; 95% CI = 1.29-1.88), and cancer-specific survival (HR = 1.77; 95% CI 1.40-2.23) as compared with non-sarcopenic patients.

CONCLUSION

Among patients with colorectal cancer, sarcopenia is a strong predictor of increased postoperative complications and worse survival outcomes.

Presence of sarcopenia does not affect the clinical results of balloon kyphoplasty for acute osteoporotic vertebral fracture

Sarcopenia has been associated with poor clinical outcomes in several diseases. Herein, the clinical results of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) for acute osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) treatment were assessed and compared between sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia patients. Sixty patients who underwent BKP for treatment of acute OVF with poor prognostic factors between April 2016 and September 2017 and were assessed for sarcopenia were enrolled. Clinical results (back pain on visual analogue scale [VAS]; short-form [SF] 36; vertebral deformity; activities of daily living levels; and incidence of adjacent vertebral fractures) were compared between the two groups at 6 months post-BKP. Data analysis revealed that back pain on VAS, SF-36 scores, and vertebral deformity improved from baseline to 6 months after BKP. Thirty-nine patients (65.0%) were diagnosed with sarcopenia and demonstrated a lower body mass index (21.2 vs. 23.3 kg/m², p = 0.02), skeletal muscle mass index (5.32 vs. 6.55 kg/m², p < 0.01), hand-grip strength (14.7 vs. 19.2 kg, p = 0.01), and bone mineral density of the femoral neck (0.57 vs. 0.76 g/cm², p < 0.01) than those of patients without sarcopenia. However, no significant differences were observed in the clinical results between these groups. Therefore, BKP's clinical results for the treatment of acute OVF are not associated with sarcopenia.

The impact of skeletal muscle depletion on older adult patients with head and neck cancer undergoing primary surgery

INTRODUCTION

Sarcopenia may result in negative outcomes in patients with cancer, but its impact on surgical and oncological outcomes in older adult patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) has not been systematically studied. This study evaluated the clinical impact of sarcopenia on postsurgical and oncological outcomes in older adult patients with HNSCC.

METHODS

This is a prospective study of 190 consecutive HNSCC patients aged ≥65 years who underwent curative surgery at a tertiary referral hospital. Sarcopenia was determined from measurement of the cross-sectional area of skeletal muscles at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on pretreatment images of whole body ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography. Primary outcomes were early complications and overall survival. Factors of early complications and readmission were identified using binary logistic regression analyses, and factors of overall survival and disease-free survival were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression analyses.

RESULTS

Pretreatment sarcopenia were found in 64 (33.7%) patients. In multivariate analysis, sarcopenia and N classification were significantly associated with early complications, while sarcopenia and T classification were associated with readmission. Independent factors of overall survival outcomes were age, sarcopenia, and extranodal extension (all P < .005). Sarcopenia was also an independent factor predictive of disease-free survival outcome (P < .001). Sarcopenia was associated with a 3.2-fold increase in the early complication rate and 4.5-fold increase in mortality in older adult surgical patients with HNSCC.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia may predict early complications and survival after curative surgery in older adult patients with HNSCC.

Comparing the Performance of Different Instruments for Diagnosing Frailty and Predicting Adverse Outcomes among Elderly Patients with Gastric Cancer

OBJECTIVES

To examine the diagnostic performance of the Tilburg Frailty Indicator (TFI), 11-factor modified frailty index (mFI-11), and 5-factor modified frailty index (mFI-5) for frailty defined by Frailty Phenotype (FP), as well as to compare the predictive ability of TFI, mFI-11, and mFI-5 for adverse outcomes in hospital among elderly patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery.

DESIGN

A prospective cohort study.

SETTING

Hospitalization setting, Nanjing, China.

PARTICIPANTS

We recruited 259 elderly patients undergoing gastric cancer surgery from a tertiary hospital.

MEASUREMENTS

Frailty was assessed by the FP, TFI, mFI-11, and mFI-5 before surgery, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were plotted to compared the diagnostic performance of TFI, mFI-11, and mFI-5 using FP as the reference. ROC curves were used to examine the performance of TFI, mFI-11, and mFI-5 in predicting adverse outcomes. The area under the curve (AUC)>0.70 was regarded as an indicator of good performance.

RESULTS

The prevalence of frailty ranged from 8.5% (mFI-11) to 45.9% (TFI). The AUCs of TFI (AUC: 0.764, p<0.001) was significantly greater than that of mFI-11 (AUC: 0.600, p=0.033) and mFI-5 (AUC: 0.600, p=0.0311) in the detection of frailty defined by FP, with quite different sensitivity and specificity at their original cutoffs. TFI and mFI-11 both had statistically significant but similarly inadequate predictive accuracy for adverse outcomes in hospital, including total complications (AUCs: 0.618; 0.621), PLOS (AUCs: 0.593; 0.639), increased hospital costs (AUCs: 0.594; 0.624), and hypoproteinemia (AUCs: 0.573; 0.600). For the mFI-5, only the predictive ability for hypoproteinemia was statistically significant, with poor accuracy (AUC: 0.592, p<0.0055).

CONCLUSION

The TFI performed slightly better than mFI-11 and mFI-5 in our study. Moreover, future studies are needed to further determine an optimal frailty instrument with great diagnostic and predictive accuracy.

Nutrition and physical activity: French intergroup clinical practice guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up (SNFGE, FFCD, GERCOR, UNICANCER, SFCD, SFED, SFRO, ACHBT, AFC, SFP-APA, SFNCM, AFSOS)

This document is a summary of the French intergroup guidelines regarding the nutrition and physical activity (PA) management in digestive oncology. This collaborative work was produced under the auspices of all French medical and surgical societies involved in digestive oncology, nutrition and supportive care. It is based on published guidelines, recent literature review and expert opinions. Recommendations are graded according to the level of evidence. Malnutrition affects more than half of patients with digestive cancers and is often underdiagnosed. It has multiple negative consequences on survival, quality of life and risk of treatment complications. Consequently, in addition to anticancer treatments, supportive care including nutritional support and PA plays a central role in the management of digestive cancers. It is crucial to detect malnutrition (diagnostic criteria updated in 2019) early, to prevent it and to act against it at all stages of the cancer and at all times of the care pathway. In this context, we proposed recommendations for the evaluation and management in nutrition and PA in digestive oncology for each stage of the disease (perioperative setting, during radiation therapy, during systemic treatments, at the palliative phase, after cancer). Guidelines for nutrition and PA management aim at increasing awareness about malnutrition in oncology. They are continuously evolving and need to be regularly updated.

Sarcopenia and adverse health-related outcomes: An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this umbrella review was to assess the associations between sarcopenia and adverse health-related outcomes.

DESIGN

An umbrella review of meta-analyses of observational studies.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

Patients with sarcopenia and controls without sarcopenia were included.

MEASURES

The PubMed, Web of Science and Embase were searched for relevant systematic review and meta-analysis. AMSTAR and GRADE system were used for methodological quality and evidence quality assessments, respectively.

RESULTS

Totally 54 outcomes extracted from 30 meta-analyses were analyzed. Twenty out of 21 prognostic outcomes indicated that sarcopenia was significantly associated with poorer prognosis of gastric cancer, hepatocellular cancer, urothelial cancer, head and neck cancer, hematological malignancy, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, esophageal cancer, and ovarian cancer. Besides, 10 out of 16 postoperative outcomes suggested that sarcopenia significantly increased the risk of multiple postoperative complications and prolonged the length of hospitalization of patients with digestive cancer. In age-related outcomes, sarcopenia significantly increased the risk of dysphagia, cognitive impairment, fractures, falls, hospitalization, and all-cause mortality of elderly populations. Moreover, sarcopenia was also associated with higher level of albuminuria, risk of depression, and several metabolic diseases.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS

Sarcopenia significantly affected a wide range of adverse health-related outcomes, particularly in patients of tumor and elderly populations. Because evidences of most outcomes were rated as "low" and "very low," more prospective cohort studies are required in the future.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of sarcopenia as a prognostic factor in gynecological malignancy

Introduction

Sarcopenia is a condition described as the progressive generalized loss of muscle mass and strength. While sarcopenia has been linked with poorer outcomes following a variety of malignancies, its relationship with all gynecological cancer clinical outcomes has, to date, not been evaluated. This review interrogates the concept of sarcopenia as a prognostic tool for oncological outcomes and adverse effects of treatments in all primary gynecological malignancies.

Methods

This systematic review and meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, searching PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL without date or language restriction for studies reporting on sarcopenia and gynecological malignancies. Random effects meta-analysis models were used to determine the effects of sarcopenia on progression-free survival, overall survival, and treatment-related adverse events.

Results

Data were analyzed from 13 studies, including 2446 patients (range 60–323) with ovarian cancer (n=1381), endometrial cancer (n=354), or cervical cancer (n=481). Sarcopenia was associated with lower progression-free survival (HR 1.69, 95% CI 1.03 to 2.76), overall survival (HR 1.33, 95% CI 1.08 to 1.64), and no increase in adverse events (HR 1.28, 95% CI 0.69 to 2.40). The risk of bias of the studies was mostly rated unclear, and Begg’s and Egger’s test revealed a potential publication bias for progression-free survival and overall survval, although the HRs remained significant when adjusting for it.

Conclusion

Sarcopenia is associated with worse progression-free survival and overall survival in gynecological oncology malignancies. Further research is warranted to validate these findings in larger and prospective samples using standardized methodology and to examine if an intervention could reverse its effect in gynecological oncology trials.

Nutrition and physical activity professional education in gastrointestinal oncology: a national multidisciplinary survey

Objectives

Sarcopenia, present in more than 50% of digestive oncology patients, has a negative impact on clinical outcomes. Nutrition and adapted physical activity are two major interventions for the management of sarcopenia. However, young hepato-gastroenterologists, oncologists and surgeons in France have limited awareness on these topics. We aimed to evaluate the need for training programmes of physicians (residents and senior doctors) involved in digestive oncology on nutrition and adapted physical activity.

Methods

A 42-question survey was developed, by a working group of clinicians, dieticians and adapted physical activity teachers, to assess five areas related to demographics of respondents, nutrition practices, nutrition training, adapted physical activity practices and adapted physical activity training. The national survey was undertaken between April and July of 2019.

Results

230 physicians participated in the survey; 34% were hepato-gastroenterologists, 31% were oncologists, 23% were surgeons and 40% were residents. Sixty-one per cent of participants had received training in nutrition and only 21% in adapted physical activity. Ninety per cent of the physicians expressed their desire for more effective training on these two topics. Disparities in clinical practices were observed between hepato-gastroenterologists, oncologists and surgeons.

Conclusions

More initial and continuing training on nutrition and adapted physical activity is needed for French physicians in the current digestive oncology clinical practice.

Patient-reported experience and outcome measures during treatment for gastroesophageal cancer

OBJECTIVE

Gastroesophageal cancer has high mortality, and continuous assessment of patient-reported data is salient for optimisation of supportive care. We aimed to evaluate our multidisciplinary concept with respect to patient-reported variables.

METHODS

At diagnosis and later during the treatment, three areas of patient-reported measures were evaluated: the given information and care, fatigue (Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory [MFI-20]), dysphagia (Ogilvie dysphagia score) and weight loss.

RESULTS

Of 130 outpatients, planned for a surgical procedure and given a contact nurse (CN), 106 responded. During treatment, 81% of the patients were satisfied with their CN. The given information was considered very good or good by >90% and easily understood. Half of the patients reported need for supportive care, which was rated good by 85%. All dimensions of the MFI-20 test, except mental fatigue, worsened during the treatment period. At diagnosis, 61% of the patients experienced eating problems, leading to 7% weight loss. Although dysphagia improved, weight loss reached 13% at the end of treatment.

CONCLUSION

A multidisciplinary concept can be of value in giving appropriate and understandable information, leading to high satisfaction with the provided care. However, as fatigue and weight loss increased during the treatment period, patients need structured multidisciplinary support.