Sarcopenia Does Not Affect Survival or Outcomes in Soft-Tissue Sarcoma

Is central sarcopenia a predictor of prognosis for patients with pathological fracture?

INTRODUCTION

We aimed to investigate the relationship between central sarcopenia and survival in patients with pathological fracture.

METHODS

We reviewed records of patients who were treated for pathological fracture of axial and appendicular skeleton in our clinic between 2011 and 2020. We used the psoas: lumbar vertebral index (PLVI) on axial computer tomographic evaluation to assess for central sarcopenia. A multivariate Cox algorithm was applied to recognize these factors independently associated with one month, six months, one year, and overall survival.

RESULTS

A total of 147 patients [61 (41.4%) male and 86 (58.6%) female] were included, with an average age of 62.4 years. During the study, 108 (73.4%) patients died, and 39 (26.6%) were alive. The survival rates at 1 month, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery were 94.6%, 68.7%, and 53.1%, respectively. PLVI values ranged from 0.21 to 1.20 with a mean of 0.536 and a median of 0.520. According to the median value of PLVI, 68 patients with sarcopenia had low PLVI and 79 patients without sarcopenia had high PLVI. For the first month, only the preoperative albumin level was identified as a prognostic factor. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG), American Society of Anesthesia (ASA) scores and primary malignancy (rapid grade) were strong predictor of poor survival. The PLVI was independent significant predictor of first month (HR, 0.083 [95% CI, 0.011-0.649], p = 0.018) and overall survival (HR, 0.129 [95% CI, 0.034-0.492], p = 0.003).

CONCLUSION

The PLVI was a strong predictor of first year, and overall survival in patients with pathological fracture.

Impact of Skeletal Muscle Measurements by Chest Computed Tomography on Survival and Postoperative Complications in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcoma

This study aims to evaluate whether sarcopenia, measured by chest computed tomography (CT), affects survival outcomes and postoperative complications in soft tissue sarcoma (STS) patients undergoing surgery. In this retrospective study, CT scans of 79 patients were reviewed to measure pectoralis and T12 vertebra muscle area. Both were then adjusted for height (cm²/m²) as pectoralis muscle index (PMI) and T12 vertebra muscle index (TMI). Analyses were performed by dichotomizing muscle indices at gender-specific 50th percentile; PMI and TMI < 50th percentile were defined as low, and ≥50th percentile as high. Overall postsurgical complication rate (PCR) was 16%. Median length of hospital stay (LOHS) was 10 days (3-90). PMI and TMI were significantly lower in women (p = 0.02, p = 0.04). Median body mass index was significantly higher in high PMI and TMI groups (p = 0.01 for both). PCR and LOHS were similar between low and high PMI and TMI groups. Median follow-up was 29 months, 37 patients had recurrence and 23 died. No significant difference was noted between low and high PMI and TMI groups, in terms of disease-free or overall survival. PMI and TMI as measured by chest CT had no impact on survival outcomes or postoperative complications in localized STS.

Sarcopenia increases the risk of major organ or vessel invasion in patients with papillary thyroid cancer

While sarcopenia is associated with poor overall survival and cancer-specific survival in solid cancer patients, the impact of sarcopenia on clinicopathologic features that can influence conventional papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) prognosis remains unclear. To investigate the impact of sarcopenia on aggressive clinicopathologic features in PTC patients, prospectively collected data on 305 patients who underwent surgery for PTC with preoperative staging ultrasonography and bioelectrical impedance analysis were retrospectively analyzed. Nine sarcopenia patients with preoperative sarcopenia showed more patients aged 55 or older (p = 0.022), higher male proportion (p < 0.001), lower body-mass index (p = 0.015), higher incidence of major organ or vessel invasion (p = 0.001), higher T stage (p = 0.002), higher TNM stage (p = 0.007), and more tumor recurrence (p = 0.023) compared to the non-sarcopenia patients. Unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression analyses showed that sarcopenia (odds ratio (OR) 9.936, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2.052–48.111, p = 0.004), tumor size (OR 1.048, 95% CI 1.005–1.093, p = 0.027), and tumor multiplicity (OR 3.323, 95% CI 1.048–10.534, p = 0.041) significantly increased the risk of T4 cancer. Sarcopenia patients showed significantly lower disease-free survival probability compared to non-sarcopenia patients. Therefore, preoperative sarcopenia in PTC patients should raise clinical suspicion for a more locally advanced disease and direct appropriate management and careful follow-up.

Outcomes of Sarcopenia Treatment for Malignant Bone and Soft Tissue Tumors in Elderly Patients

BACKGROUND/AIM

We determined the impact of sarcopenia on the treatment outcomes of malignant bone and soft tissue tumors in elderly patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed 76 patients (age ≥65 years) who were treated for malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. Sarcopenia was assessed by measuring the cross-sectional area of the psoas muscles at the L3 vertebra from preoperative computed tomography images and categorized using the total psoas area/m ² (TPA/m ² ) ≤5.0 cm ² /m ² . The patients' clinical data were then evaluated.

RESULTS

The operation time, length of hospital stay, and median overall survival were not different between the sarcopenia (n=41) and no-sarcopenia (n=35) groups. The local recurrence rate (p=0.01) and incidence of postoperative complications (p=0.02) significantly differed between both groups. The TPA/m ²  of both groups significantly decreased at the final follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia negatively influenced wound healing and local recurrence, and was significantly exacerbated postoperatively in all elderly patients.

Use of computed tomography for the diagnosis of surgical sarcopenia: Review of recent research advances

Sarcopenia, also known as muscle decay, is associated with high morbidity among surgical patients. It is highly correlated with adverse clinical outcomes, such as increased postoperative complications, prolonged hospital stay, and increased mortality. Computed tomography (CT) is one of the main methods for diagnosing sarcopenia, which has the advantages of intuitiveness, rapidity, and accuracy. Clinical studies have shown that CT-defined sarcopenia can help predict the clinical outcomes and prognosis of surgical patients and provide an important reference for the formulation of antitumor treatment protocols. In recent years, some scholars have tried to construct an intelligent CT-based diagnostic model, which is expected to improve the diagnostic efficiency and establish standardized diagnostic criteria for CT-defined sarcopenia. In this review, we summarize the recent progress in the understanding of the diagnosis of sarcopenia and its potential prognostic value in surgery.

Impact of preoperative sarcopenia in patients undergoing sacral tumor resection

INTRODUCTION

Sacral tumor resection is known for a high rate of complications. Sarcopenia has been found to be associated with wound complications; however, there is a paucity of data examining the impact of sarcopenia on the outcome of sacral tumor resection.

METHODS

Forty-eight patients (31 primary sarcomas, 17 locally recurrent carcinomas) undergoing sacrectomy were reviewed. Central sarcopenia was assessed by measuring the psoas:lumbar vertebra index (PLVI), with the 50th percentile (0.97) used to determine which patients were high (>0.97) versus low (<0.97).

RESULTS

Twenty-four (50%) patients had a high PLVI and 24 (50%) had a low PLVI (sarcopenic). There was no difference (p > 0.05) in the demographics of patients with or without sarcopenia. There was no difference in the incidence of postoperative wound complications (odds ratio [OR] = 1.0, p = 1.0) or deep infection (OR = 0.83, p = 1.0). Sarcopenia was not associated with death due to disease (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.04, p = 0.20) or metastatic disease (HR = 2.47, p = 0.17), but was associated with local recurrence (HR = 6.60, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Central sarcopenia was not predictive of wound complications or infection following sacral tumor resection. Sarcopenia was, however, an independent risk factor for local tumor recurrence following sacrectomy and should be considered when counseling patients on the outcome of sacrectomy.

Impact of sarcopenia in advanced and metastatic soft tissue sarcoma

Introduction

Advanced or metastatic soft tissue sarcoma (a/mSTS) is associated with a dismal prognosis. Patient counseling on treatment aggressiveness is pivotal to avoid over- or undertreatment. Recently, evaluation of body composition markers like the skeletal muscle index (SMI) became focus of interest in a variety of cancers. This study focuses on the prognostic impact of SMI in a/mSTS, retrospectively.

Methods

181 a/mSTS patients were identified, 89 were eligible due to prespecified criteria for SMI assessment. Baseline CT-Scans were analyzed using an institutional software solution. Sarcopenia defining cut-off values for the SMI were established by optimal fitting method. Primary end point was overall survival (OS) and secondary endpoints were progression free survival (PFS), disease control rate (DCR), overall response rate (ORR). Descriptive statistics as well as Kaplan Meier- and Cox regression analyses were administered.

Results

28/89 a/mSTS patients showed sarcopenia. Sarcopenic patients were significantly older, generally tended to receive less multimodal therapies (62 vs. 57 years, P = 0.025; respectively median 2.5 vs. 4, P = 0.132) and showed a significantly lower median OS (4 months [95%CI 1.9–6.0] vs. 16 months [95%CI 8.8–23.2], Log-rank P = 0.002). Sarcopenia was identified as independent prognostic parameter of impaired OS (HR 2.40 [95%-CI 1.4–4.0], P < 0.001). Moreover, DCR of first palliative medical treatment was superior in non-sarcopenic patients (49.2% vs. 25%, P = 0.032).

Conclusion

This study identifies sarcopenia as a prognostic parameter in a/mSTS. Further on, the data suggest that sarcopenia shows a trend of being associated with first line therapy response. SMI is a promising prognostic parameter, which needs further validation.

Sarcopenia and obesity among patients with soft tissue sarcoma - Association with clinicopathologic characteristics, complications and oncologic outcome: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Sarcopenia and obesity may be associated with negative outcomes in many cancers, but their prevalence and impact in modern regimens for soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) have not been systematically studied. This study summarises and critically evaluates the current evidence-based literature on body mass index (BMI) and body composition among patients with STS, with respect to clinical and pathologic characteristics, treatment-associated morbidity and oncologic outcome.

METHODS

A systematic literature search of the PubMed, Embase and Cochrane databases was performed. Meta-analysis of the relationship between BMI, body composition and pathologic characteristics, operative morbidity and oncologic outcome was undertaken using RevMan v.5.4 using fixed or random effects methods as appropriate.

RESULTS

14 studies including 3598 patients met inclusion criteria. Ten studies reported on BMI, two on CT and two on PET-CT assessment of body composition. BMI ranged from 14.6 to 63.7 kg/m², with obesity in 18%-39% of patients. Although some studies demonstrated larger tumours among patients with obesity, this was not significant on meta-analysis (P = 0.31, I² = 99%). There was no significant difference in tumour grade or histologic type according to BMI. Postoperatively, obesity was associated with increased risk of overall morbidity (odds ratio (OR) 2.03 [95% CI 1.41-2.92], P = 0.0001, I² = 22%), and wound morbidity (OR 1.32 [95% CI 1.02-1.71], P = 0.03, I² = 0%). Similar effects were observed in studies of visceral adiposity. No differences in functional outcomes were observed. There was a trend towards reduced local recurrence among patients with obesity (HR 0.64 [95% CI 0.38-1.08], P = 0.10, I² = 0%), but no difference in distant metastasis (HR 1.00 [95% CI 0.76-1.30], P = 0.98, I² = 0%) or overall survival (HR 0.98 [95% CI 0.43-2.22], P = 0.95, I² = 64%). Various measures of sarcopenia were associated with poorer survival outcomes.

CONCLUSION

While obesity is associated with increased postoperative morbidity, it had no significant association with long-term oncologic outcomes. Sarcopenia may be associated with a poorer long-term prognosis. A greater understanding of the impact of nutritional status on disease characteristics and treatment outcomes is essential to facilitate improvements in clinical care for patients with STS.

Skeletal muscle measurements predict surgical wound complications but not overall survival in patients with soft tissue sarcoma

BACKGROUND

It is unknown whether sarcopenia influences treatment outcome in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. Herein, we aimed to elucidate the impact of sarcopenia on sarcoma treatment.

METHODS

A total of 163 soft tissue sarcoma patients were included. Skeletal muscle measures were calculated using computed tomography images. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) and density (SMD) at the L3 level were extracted, and SMA was normalized by height as skeletal muscle index (SMI). The skeletal muscle gauge (SMG) was calculated by multiplying SMD × SMI. The relationship of skeletal muscle measures and clinical factors to wound complications and prognosis was evaluated, and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis was used to develop classification models for risk groups of surgical wound complications.

RESULTS

Thirty-three patients developed wound complications. In univariate analysis, age (P = 0.0022), tumour location of adductor compartment of the thigh (P = 0.0019), operating time (P = 0.010), blood loss (P = 0.030), SMD (P = 0.0004) and SMG (P = 0.0001) were significantly correlated with complications. In multivariate analysis, lower SMG was an independent risk factor (P = 0.031, OR = 3.27). CART analysis classified three risk groups of surgical wound complications by SMG, age, tumour location and operating time, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROCC) was 0.75. SMG was not associated with prognosis in univariate analysis (P = 0.15).

CONCLUSIONS

The SMG does not affect overall survival but predicts surgical wound complications.

Opportunistic muscle measurements on staging chest CT for extremity and truncal soft tissue sarcoma are associated with survival

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Computed tomography (CT) measurements of sarcopenia have been proposed as biomarkers associated with outcomes in various cancers and have typically been evaluated at the L3 vertebral level. However, staging imaging for patients with extremity and truncal soft tissue sarcoma (STS) often only includes chest CT imaging which precludes evaluation at L3. Therefore, we sought to evaluate muscle metrics at T12 on standard staging chest CT scans and evaluate for correlation with overall and event-free survival in patients with STS.

METHODS

CT chest imaging for 89 patients with intermediate and high-grade STS (53 male, 36 female; 58.5 ± 19.0 years old, follow-up 37.4 ± 27.1 months) was reviewed on PACS at T12 for skeletal muscle density (SMD) and skeletal muscle index (SMI).

RESULTS

Overall survival increased with increased SMD on univariate (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.61 [0.43, 0.86]) and age-adjusted analysis (HR = 0.65 [0.42, 0.89]. Event-free survival also increased with increased SMD in univariate analyses (HR = 0.68 [0.49, 0.95]) but did not maintain significance after adjusting for age (HR = 0.68 [0.43, 1.07]). SMI was not a predictor of overall or event-free survival.

CONCLUSIONS

Higher SMD measured on routinely obtained staging chest CTs in STS patients is associated with improved survival.

Association of adipose tissue and skeletal muscle metrics with overall survival and postoperative complications in soft tissue sarcoma patients: an opportunistic study using computed tomography

Background

To determine the relationship between adipose tissue and skeletal muscle measurements on computed tomography (CT) and overall survival and major postoperative complications in patients with soft-tissue sarcoma (STS).

Methods

The retrospective study included 137 STS patients (75 men, 62 women; mean age, 53 years, SD 17.7; mean BMI, 28.5, SD 6.6) who had abdominal CT exams. On a single CT image, at the L4 pedicle level, measurements of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and skeletal muscle area and attenuation were obtained using clinical PACS and specialized segmentation software. Clinical information was recorded, including STS characteristics (size, depth, grade, stage, and site), overall survival, and postoperative complications. The relationships between CT metrics and survival were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard models and those between CT metrics and postoperative complications using logistic regression models.

Results

There were 33 deaths and 41 major postoperative complications. Measured on clinical PACS, the psoas area (P=0.003), psoas index (P=0.006), psoas attenuation (P=0.011), and total muscle attenuation (P=0.023) were associated with overall survival. Using specialized software, psoas attenuation was also associated with overall survival (P=0.018). Adipose tissue metrics were not associated with survival or postoperative complications.

Conclusions

In STS patients, CT-derived muscle size and attenuation are associated with overall survival. These prognostic biomarkers can be obtained using specialized segmentation software or routine clinical PACS.

The effect of sarcopenia on perioperative complications in abdominally based free-flap breast reconstruction

PURPOSE

The identification of patient-specific risk factors, which predict morbidity following abdominally based microvascular breast reconstruction is difficult. Sarcopenia is a proxy for patient frailty and is an independent predictor of complications in a myriad of surgical disciplines. We predict that sarcopenic patients will be at higher risk for surgical complications following abdominally based microvascular breast reconstruction.

METHODS

A retrospective study of all patients who underwent delayed abdominally based autologous breast reconstruction following postmastectomy radiation therapy from 2007 to 2013 at a single institution was conducted. Univariate and multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the effect of sarcopenia on postoperative outcomes.

RESULTS

Two hundred and eight patients met the inclusion criteria, of which 30 met criteria for sarcopenia (14.1%). There were no significant differences in demographics between groups. There were no significant differences in minor (36.7% vs 44.4%; P = .43) or major (16.7% vs 25.3%; P = .36) complications between groups as well as hospital length of stay. Multivariable logistic regression demonstrated that a staged reconstruction with the use of a tissue expander was the only consistent variable, which predicted major complications (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.18-4.64; P = .015).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia does not predispose to minor or major surgical complications in patients who undergo abdominally based microsurgical breast reconstruction.

Sarcopenia is associated with increased mortality but not complications following resection and reconstruction of sarcoma of the extremities

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Evidence regarding the impact of sarcopenia on operative outcomes in patients with sarcoma is lacking. We evaluated the relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative complications or mortality among patients undergoing tumor excision and reconstruction. ​ METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 145 patients treated with tumor excision and limb reconstruction for sarcoma of the extremities. Sarcopenia was defined as psoas index (PI) < 5.45 cm² /m² for men and <3.85 cm² /m² for women from preoperative axial CT. Regression analyses were used to assess the association between postoperative complications or mortality with PI, age, gender, race, body mass index, tumor histology, grade, depth, location, size, and neoadjuvant/adjuvant therapy.

RESULTS

There were 101 soft tissue tumors and 44 primary bone tumors. Sarcopenia was present in 38 patients (26%). Sarcopenic patients were older (median age: 72 vs 59 years, P = .0010) and had larger tumors (86.5%, >5 cm vs 77.7%, P = .023). Seventy-three patients experienced complications (51%) and 18 patients died within 1 year. Sarcopenia and metastatic disease were associated with increased 12-month mortality (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.68, P < .001; HR: 8.51, P < .001, respectively) but not complications (HR 1.45, P = .155, odds ratio, 1.32, P = .426, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Sarcopenia and metastatic disease were independently associated with postoperative mortality but no complications following surgery.

Sarcopenia predicts 90-day mortality in elderly patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery

PURPOSE

Image-based measurement of sarcopenia is an established predictor of a decreased outcome for a large variety of surgical procedures. Sarcopenia in elderly patients undergoing emergency abdominal surgery has not been well studied. This study aims to investigate the association between the total psoas area (TPA) and postoperative mortality after 90 days in a group of elderly emergency laparotomy patients.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the emergency CT-scans of 150 elderly patients from a consecutive cohort undergoing emergency abdominal surgery at our surgical center. TPA was measured manually at the level of L3 and indexed to patient height. Sarcopenia was defined as having a TPA index below the first quartile for gender in the cohort. Other collected variables were age, vital status/date of death, ASA-score, surgical procedure, and WHO performance score.

RESULTS

Overall 90-day mortality was 42.7%. Sarcopenic patients had a higher 90-day mortality (60.5%) than non-sarcopenic patients (36.6%), corresponding to an odds ratio of 2.66 (95% confidence interval 1.2-5.7, p = 0.01). Sarcopenic patients had an increased mortality compared with non-sarcopenic patients (p = 0.0009, Log-rank test), with a clear separation of the two groups within 30 days postoperatively. In a multivariate logistic regression model, with age, ASA-score, and WHO performance score as covariates, sarcopenia was independently associated with 90-day mortality.

CONCLUSION

Manual measurement of TPA on an abdominal CT-scan is a relevant risk factor for postoperative mortality in elderly patients undergoing high-risk emergency abdominal surgery. Incorporation of sarcopenia in postoperative risk-prediction models in emergency abdominal surgery should be considered.

Sarcopenia Is Predictive of 1-Year Mortality After Acetabular Fractures in Elderly Patients

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether sarcopenia is an independent predictor of mortality in geriatric acetabular fractures.

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort.

SETTING

American College of Surgeons Level I trauma center.

PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS

One hundred and forty-six patients over the age 60 with acetabular fractures treated at our institution over a 12-year period.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcome was 1-year mortality, collected using the Social Security Death Index. We used the psoas:lumbar vertebral index (PLVI), calculated using the cross-sectional area of the L4 vertebral body and the left and right psoas muscles, to assess for sarcopenia.

RESULTS

Using a multivariate logistic regression model, we found that low PLVI was associated with increased 1-year mortality (P = 0.046) when controlling for age, gender, Charlson Comorbidity Index, Injury Severity Score (ISS), smoking status, and associated pelvic ring injury. Increasing age and ISS also showed a relationship with 1-year mortality in this cohort (P < 0.001, P < 0.001, respectively). We defined sarcopenia as those patients in the lowest quartile of PLVI. The mortality rate of this cohort was 32.4%, compared with 11.0% in patients without sarcopenia (odds ratio 4.04; 95% confidence interval 1.62-10.1). Age >75 years, ISS >14, and sarcopenia had 1-year mortality rates of 37.1%, 30.9%, and 32.4%, respectively. In patients with all 3 factors, the mortality rate was 90%.

CONCLUSION

Sarcopenia is an independent risk factor for 1-year mortality in elderly patients with acetabular fractures. This study highlights the importance of objective measures to assess frailty in elderly patients who have sustained fractures about the hip and pelvis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Prognostic Level III. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Frailty and sarcopenia do not predict adverse events in an elderly population undergoing non-complex primary elective surgery for degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine

BACKGROUND CONTEXT

Sarcopenia measured by normalized total psoas area (NTPA) has been shown to predict mortality and adverse events (AEs) in numerous surgical populations. The relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes after surgery for degenerative spine disease (DSD) has not been investigated.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to determine the relationships between sarcopenia, frailty, and postoperative AEs in the elderly DSD population. Secondary objectives were to describe the distribution and predictors of NTPA and to determine the relationship between sarcopenia, frailty, and length of stay, discharge to a facility, and in-hospital mortality.

STUDY DESIGN

This is an ambispective study from a quaternary care academic center.

PATIENT SAMPLE

A total of 102 patients over 65 years old who underwent elective thoracolumbar surgery for DSD between 2009 and 2013 were included in this study.

OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome was a composite of perioperative AEs; the secondary outcomes were length of stay, discharge disposition, and in-hospital mortality.

METHODS

Total psoas area (TPA) at mid-L3 level on preoperative computed tomography scan adjusted for height (NTPA) defined sarcopenia. The modified frailty index (mFI) of 11 clinical variables defined frailty. The distribution and predictors of sarcopenia (NTPA) were determined. The association of NTPA with AEs, length of stay, discharge disposition to care facility, and mortality was analyzed, including adjusting for known and suspected confounders using multivariate regression.

RESULTS

Median Spine Surgical Invasiveness Index was 8 (interquartile range 2-10), and mean NTPA was 674 mm²/m² (293.21-1636.25). Using the mFI, 20.6% were pre-frail and 19.6% were frail. Inter- and intraobserver reliability for determining NTPA were near perfect with kappa 0.95-0.97 and 0.94-1.00, respectively. The NTPA was independently associated with patient gender and body mass index (BMI) but not frailty (mFI). Age, BMI, mFI, and American Anesthesiologists' Society score were not associated with incidence of postoperative AEs. The NTPA did not predict the occurrence of AE (odds ratio [OR] 1.06 per 100 mm²/m², 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.91-1.23, p=.45). Similarly, NTPA was not predictive of length of stay (rho=-0.04, p=.67), discharge home (OR 0.95 (95% CI 0.76-1.20) per 100 mm²/m², p=.70), or death (OR 1.12 (95% CI 0.83-1.53) per 100 mm²/m², p=.47). In contrast, increasing mFI was associated with increased risk of mortality (OR 3.12 (95% CI 1.21-8.03) per 0.1 increase in frailty score, p=.006).

CONCLUSIONS

In contrast to other surgical groups, sarcopenia (NTPA) or frailty (mFI) did not predict acute care complications in a selected population of elderly patients undergoing simple lumbar spine surgery for DSD. Although NTPA can be reliably measured in this population, it may be an inappropriate surrogate for sarcopenia given its anatomical relationship to spinal function.

Psoas muscle area is not representative of total skeletal muscle area in the assessment of sarcopenia in ovarian cancer

BACKGROUND

Computed tomography measurements of total skeletal muscle area can detect changes and predict overall survival (OS) in patients with advanced ovarian cancer. This study investigates whether assessment of psoas muscle area reflects total muscle area and can be used to assess sarcopenia in ovarian cancer patients.

METHODS

Ovarian cancer patients (n = 150) treated with induction chemotherapy and interval debulking were enrolled retrospectively in this longitudinal study. Muscle was measured cross sectionally with computed tomography in three ways: (i) software quantification of total skeletal muscle area (SMA); (ii) software quantification of psoas muscle area (PA); and (iii) manual measurement of length and width of the psoas muscle to derive the psoas surface area (PLW). Pearson correlation between the different methods was studied. Patients were divided into two groups based on the extent of change in muscle area, and agreement was measured with kappa coefficients. Cox-regression was used to test predictors for OS.

RESULTS

Correlation between SMA and both psoas muscle area measurements was poor (r = 0.52 and 0.39 for PA and PLW, respectively). After categorizing patients into muscle loss or gain, kappa agreement was also poor for all comparisons (all κ < 0.40). In regression analysis, SMA loss was predictive of poor OS (hazard ratio 1.698 (95%CI 1.038-2.778), P = 0.035). No relationship with OS was seen for PA or PLW loss.

CONCLUSIONS

Change in psoas muscle area is not representative of total muscle area change and should not be used to substitute total skeletal muscle to predict survival in patients with ovarian cancer.