Association between Skeletal Muscle Loss and the Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy for Breast Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Radiology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Predicting patient response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) remains a significant challenge in breast cancer treatment.
• The influence of skeletal muscle loss on NAC efficacy is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between skeletal muscle loss and treatment response in breast cancer patients undergoing NAC.
• To determine if skeletal muscle index changes can predict chemotherapy response.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 246 invasive breast cancer patients treated with NAC, surgery, and radiotherapy.
• Quantification of skeletal muscle loss using pre- and post-NAC computed tomography scans.
• Response evaluation using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST).

Main Results:

• Skeletal muscle loss was significantly associated with poor response to NAC (p < 0.001).
• Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified significant cut-off values for skeletal muscle index (AUC 0.732 pre-NAC, 0.885 post-NAC).
• Cancer stage also correlated with poor NAC response.

Conclusions:

• Skeletal muscle loss is a key indicator of poor response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in locally advanced breast cancer.
• Measuring muscle loss and implementing interventions to mitigate it could improve treatment outcomes and patient prognosis.