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A pilot study of temsirolimus and body composition
Heloisa Veasey-Rodrigues1, Henrique A Parsons, Filip Janku
1Department of Investigational Cancer Therapeutics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA, hveasey@gmail.com.
Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle
|July 30, 2013
Summary
Patients treated with temsirolimus experienced weight loss and body composition changes. Higher grade toxicities correlated with greater body fat loss, suggesting a metabolic effect of this mTOR inhibitor.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Metabolism
- Body Composition Analysis
Background:
- Body weight and composition are crucial in cancer etiology, prognosis, and treatment response.
- mTOR inhibitors like temsirolimus can cause weight loss as a side effect.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze weight, body composition changes, and outcomes in patients treated with temsirolimus.
- To investigate the relationship between body composition, sarcopenia, and toxicity in cancer patients receiving temsirolimus.
Main Methods:
- Study included 16 patients with advanced solid tumors treated with temsirolimus.
- Computerized tomography (CT) scans were used for body composition evaluation.
- Sarcopenia was defined using specific skeletal muscle index thresholds for men and women.
Main Results:
- 31% of patients were male, with a median age of 60 years.
- 44% of patients were identified as sarcopenic at baseline.
- No correlation was found between baseline sarcopenia/body composition and worse toxicity or outcomes.
- A trend indicated greater loss of adipose tissue in patients with higher grade toxicities (grade 3-4) compared to those with lower grade toxicities (grade 1-2).
Conclusions:
- Patients experiencing higher grade toxicities showed a tendency towards greater body fat loss.
- This suggests a potential end-organ metabolic effect of temsirolimus.
- Further investigation in a larger patient cohort is warranted to confirm these findings.
