Percentiles for body composition parameters based on computed tomography in patients with endometrial cancer

The aim of this study was to provide the percentiles of distribution of body composition parameters according to cancer staging and body mass index (BMI) stratum, as well as to identify the contribution of age, BMI, and cancer staging in the variation of the different parameters of body composition in a population of patients with endometrial cancer.

We enrolled 545 patients who had pretreatment computed tomography images, which were used to assess total skeletal muscle (SM); low- and high-radiodensity SM; visceral, subcutaneous, and intramuscular adipose tissue; and mean skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD). All the body composition parameters were normalized by the square of the stature. They were then presented on average and at the 5th, 50th and 95th percentiles. The correlation of these parameters with age, BMI, and cancer stage was tested, and then a multiple linear regression analysis was performed. P ≤ 0.05 was accepted as statistically significant.

BMI was associated with body fat parameters and low-radiodensity SM index; cancer stage was associated with SM index, mean SMD, and high-radiodensity SM index.

This study provides age, stage, and BMI specific percentiles for body composition parameters, which allowed an in-depth interpretation of how such body compartments, especially the low/high SM sub-ranges, varies according to these stratification variables.