Sarcopenia is a negative prognostic factor in localized extremities/trunk wall soft tissue sarcomas

Tiziana Robba ¹, Vito Chianca ², Martina Rabino ³

¹Radiologia, Ospedale CTO, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
²Clinica di Radiologia EOC IIMSI, Lugano, Switzerland.
³Università degli Studi di Torino Dipartimento di Oncologia, Italy; AOU San Luigi Gonzaga, Orbassano (Torino), Italy.
⁴Department of Precision Medicine, Università degli Studi della Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Italy.
⁵SC Oncologia ASL Città di Torino, Ospedale San Giovanni Bosco, Italy.
⁶Ortopedia Oncologica, Ospedale CTO, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
⁷Anatomia Patologica, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
⁸Università degli Studi di Torino Dipartimento di Oncologia, Italy; Radioterapia, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
⁹SSD Chirurgia dei Sarcomi e Tumori Rari Viscerali, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.
¹⁰Oncologia Medica, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy; Medical Oncology, Candiolo Cancer Institute-FPO, IRCCS, Candiolo, Italy.

⁰Radiologia, Ospedale CTO, AOU Città della Salute e della Scienza di Torino, Italy.

European Journal of Surgical Oncology : the Journal of the European Society of Surgical Oncology and the British Association of Surgical Oncology +

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March 22, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

Sarcopenia negatively impacts survival and increases complications in extremities and trunk wall soft tissue sarcoma (ESTS) patients. This study highlights sarcopenia as a crucial prognostic factor in ESTS outcomes.

Area Of Science

Oncology
Radiology
Geriatrics

Background

Sarcopenia, a loss of skeletal muscle mass and function, is an emerging prognostic determinant in cancer patients.
Limited data exist on sarcopenia's impact in extremities and trunk wall soft tissue sarcomas (ESTS).

Purpose Of The Study

To evaluate the impact of sarcopenia on the prognosis and outcomes of patients with ESTS.

Main Methods

Utilized SliceOMatic software to measure skeletal muscle area (SMA), subcutaneous fat area (SFA), and visceral fat area (VFA) from CT scans.
Calculated skeletal mass index (SMI) and muscle density (MD).
Correlated these parameters with post-surgical complications and survival using Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Main Results

Overall survival was significantly worse for sarcopenic patients (low SMI and low MD).
Sarcopenic patients exhibited a trend towards increased post-surgical complications (30.5% vs 17.0%).
Sarcopenia prevalence was not significantly higher in older patients or based on other prognostic factors.

Conclusions

Sarcopenia appears to be a negative prognostic factor in ESTS patients.
Further investigation into sarcopenia's role in ESTS is warranted.
Sarcopenia assessment may aid in risk stratification and treatment planning for ESTS patients.

Keywords:

Muscle density Oncology Prognostic factors Sarcopenia Skeletal mass index Soft tissue sarcomas