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

Abstract EN

Background and Objective.

Sarcopenia is associated with decreased survival and increased complications in carcinoma patients.

We hypothesized that sarcopenic soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) patients would have decreased survival, increased incidence of wound complications, and increased length of postresection hospital stay (LOS).

Methods.

A retrospective, single-center review of 137 patients treated surgically for STS was conducted.

Sarcopenia was assessed by measuring the cross-sectional area of bilateral psoas muscles (total psoas muscle area, TPA) at the level of the third lumbar vertebrae on a pretreatment axial computed tomography scan.

TPA was then adjusted for height (cm2/m2).

The association between height-adjusted TPA and survival was assessed using Cox proportional hazard model.

A logistical model was used to assess the association between height-adjusted TPA and wound complications.

A linear model was used to assess the association between height-adjusted TPA and LOS.

Results.

Height-adjusted TPA was not an independent predictor of overall survival ( p = 0.746 ).

Patient age ( p = 0.02 ) and tumor size ( p = 0.009 ) and grade ( p = 0.001 ) were independent predictors of overall survival.

Height-adjusted TPA was not a predictor of increased hospital LOS ( p = 0.66 ), greater incidence of postoperative infection ( p = 0.56 ), or other wound complications ( p = 0.14 ).

Conclusions.

Sarcopenia does not appear to impact overall survival, LOS, or wound complications in patients with STS.