Sex Differences in Renal Cell Carcinoma: The Importance of Body Composition

To examine sex-specific differences in renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in relation to abdominal fat accumulation, psoas muscle density, tumor size, pathology, and survival, and to evaluate possible associations with RCC characteristics and outcome.

A total of 470 patients with RCC who underwent nephrectomy between 2006 and 2019 were included in this retrospective study. Specific characteristics of RCC patients were collected, including sex, height, tumor size, grade, and data on patient survival, if available. Abdominal fat measurements and psoas muscle area were determined at the level of L3 (cm²).

Women had a higher subcutaneous (p < 0.001) and men had a higher visceral fat area, relative proportion of visceral fat area (p < 0.001), and psoas muscle index (p < 0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed an association between higher psoas muscle index and lower grade tumors [women: odds ratio (OR) 0.94, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.89-0.99, p = 0.011; men: OR 0.97 (95% CI, 0.95-0.99, p = 0.012]. Univariate regression analysis demonstrated an association between psoas muscle index and overall survival (women: OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.03-1.93, p = 0.033; men: OR 1.62 (95% CI, 1.33-1.97, p < 0.001). In contrast, there were no associations between abdominal fat measurements and tumor size, grade, or survival. Also, there were no sex-specific differences in tumor size or tumor grades.

A higher preoperative psoas muscle index was independently associated with overall survival in RCC patients, with a stronger association in men compared with women. In addition, the psoas muscle index showed an inverse association with tumor grade, whereby this association was slightly more pronounced in women than in men.