Possible Sarcopenia and Functional Decline After Colorectal or Gastric Cancer Surgery

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Geriatrics
• Surgical Outcomes

Background:

• Sarcopenia's impact on gastrointestinal cancer surgery outcomes is unclear.
• Physical function decline post-surgery is a significant concern for patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between preoperative possible sarcopenia and functional decline at discharge.
• To identify potential screening tools for at-risk patients.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 200 patients undergoing elective colorectal or gastric cancer resection.
• Possible sarcopenia defined by Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2025 (AWGS 2025) criteria.
• Functional decline measured by Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB) score changes; analyzed using modified Poisson regression.

Main Results:

• 27.0% of patients had possible sarcopenia; 18.5% experienced functional decline.
• Possible sarcopenia was significantly associated with functional decline (RR=2.15, 95%CI=1.09-4.25; p=0.027) after multivariable adjustment.
• Association remained significant in older patients (≥65 years).

Conclusions:

• Preoperative possible sarcopenia is an independent predictor of functional decline post-gastrointestinal cancer surgery.
• Handgrip strength assessment is a practical preoperative screening tool.
• Identifying patients with possible sarcopenia allows for targeted perioperative rehabilitation or prehabilitation.