Postoperative Changes in Body Composition Predict Long-Term Prognosis in Patients with Gastric Cancer

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Body Composition Analysis

Background:

• Postoperative changes in body composition (BC) after gastric cancer (GC) surgery are not well-defined.
• Understanding these changes is crucial for predicting patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To clarify the impact of postoperative comprehensive BC changes on long-term prognosis in GC patients.
• To evaluate the predictive value of BC changes for survival after gastrectomy.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 366 GC patients undergoing radical gastrectomy.
• Computed tomography assessment of skeletal muscle volume, body fat volume, and skeletal muscle density at six months postoperatively.
• Association of BC changes with long-term survival outcomes.

Main Results:

• Decreased muscle volume, decreased fat volume, and increased muscle density were associated with poor prognosis.
• A BC risk score (0-4) demonstrated declining 5-year overall survival rates from 94% (score 0) to 20% (score 4).
• BC change (score > 2) was an independent poor prognosticator (HR, 3.086; p < 0.001), with preoperative myosteatosis, high comorbidity, and total gastrectomy as risk factors.

Conclusions:

• Postoperative skeletal muscle loss, body fat loss, and muscle hyperdensity negatively impact GC patient prognosis.
• The developed BC risk scoring system effectively predicts long-term prognosis in postoperative GC patients.