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Sarcopenia as a predictor of poor surgical and oncologic outcomes after abdominal surgery for digestive tract cancer: A prospective cohort study

Shuze Zhang, Shan-Jun Tan, Yi Jiang, Q. Xi, Q. Meng, Q. Zhuang, Yusong Han, X. Sui et al.

Clinical Nutrition, 2019

1,638 participants · 73 citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Sarcopenia has been widely recognized as an important predictor of poor outcomes in patients with cancer after surgery, but the controversy remains, and its impact on surgical and oncologic outcomes in patients after abdominal surgery for digestive tract cancer is poorly described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic impact of sarcopenia on surgical and oncologic outcomes in patients after abdominal surgery for digestive tract cancer.

METHODS

Six thousand four hundred and forty-seven consecutive patients who underwent abdominal surgery for digestive tract cancer in our institution were prospectively included. Sarcopenia was defined as skeletal muscle index below the lowest sex-specific quartile using computed tomography scan at L3 before surgery. The surgical and oncologic outcomes were recorded, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

RESULTS

Sarcopenia was present in 1638 of 6447 patients (25.4%) with digestive tract cancer before surgery based on the diagnostic cut-off values (43.13 cm2/m2 for men and 37.81 cm2/m2 for women). The incidence of postoperative total and pulmonary complications, and 30-day readmission were significantly higher in sarcopenic group than in nonsarcopenic group (37.4% vs 12.9%, P < 0.001; 3.1% vs 2.1%, P = 0.026; 1.1% vs 0.4%, P = 0.003, respectively). The postoperative hospital stay was significantly longer in sarcopenic patients (9.42 ± 3.40 vs 8.51 ± 3.17 days, P < 0.001). There were…

How strong is the evidence?

Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 1,638 participants or records.

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