The Relationship Between Prostate Cancer Treatments and Changes to Musculature: A Systematic Review

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gerontology
• Radiotherapy

Background:

• Prostate cancer (PCa) treatments like androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and radiotherapy (RT) are used with curative intent.
• The impact of these treatments on patient musculature and subsequent survival outcomes requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review the effects of ADT and RT on musculature in men with PCa.
• To determine if these muscular changes influence mortality and progression-free survival.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted on Embase and Medline (2014-2024).
• Studies followed PRISMA guidelines, and bias was assessed using NIH quality assessment tools.
• Eight studies met inclusion criteria for narrative synthesis, totaling 1176 patients.

Main Results:

• Some studies indicated significant links between PCa treatment, musculature, and outcomes.
• A 1% decline in skeletal muscle index (SMI) was associated with a 9% increase in non-cancer death.
• Emphasized the need for consistent sarcopenia definitions and more research on muscle-survival associations.

Conclusions:

• Inconsistent sarcopenia definitions limit study comparability and generalizability.
• The link between muscle changes and ADT/RT highlights the importance of sarcopenia screening.
• Established best practices are lacking for interventions to mitigate risks associated with muscle decline.