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Updated: Aug 19, 2025
3D Ultrasound Imaging: Fast and Cost-effective Morphometry of Musculoskeletal Tissue
Published on: November 27, 2017
Low Skeletal Muscle Mass Predicts Relevant Outcomes in Palliative Urological Oncology: A Systematic Review and
Hans-Jonas Meyer1, Andreas Wienke2, Marina Zamsheva2
1Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.
Introduction:
Low skeletal muscle mass (LSMM) can be assessed by cross-sectional imaging. LSMM is associated with several clinically relevant factors in various disorders with predictive and prognostic implications.
Methods:
Our aim was to establish the effect of computed tomography (CT)-defined LSMM on mortality in renal cell cancer (RCC) and urothelial carcinoma (UC) undergoing palliative treatment. The MEDLINE library, Cochrane, and SCOPUS databases were screened for the associations between CT-defined LSMM up to May 2022. In total, 11 studies were suitable for the analysis.
Results:
The included studies comprised 481 patients with RCC and 394 patients with UC. The pooled hazard ratio for the association between LSMM and overall survival was 1.64 (95% CI: 0.90-2.99), p = 0.10 in univariable analysis and 1.55 (95% CI: 0.91-2.63), p = 0.10 in multivariable analysis for RCC. For UC, the pooled hazard ratio was 2.75 (95% CI: 1.77-4.28), p < 0.00001 in univariable, and 2.77 (95% CI: 1.91-4.02), p < 0.00001 in multivariable analysis. For progression-free survival, it was 2.02 (95% CI: 1.24-3.27), p = 0.004 for RCC and 2.43 (95% CI: 1.59-3.74), p < 0.0001 for UC (univariable analysis).
Conclusions:
CT-defined LSMM predicts OS and PFS in RCC and UC in the palliative setting. The effect was higher in UC. Therefore, LSMM assessment should be included as a relevant prognostic biomarker in clinical routine.
