Assessment of chemotherapy-associated sarcopenia using SARC-F and handgrip strength: a cross-sectional analysis

Sarcopenia is a significant health concern among patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy due to its potential impacts on treatment tolerance and functional status.

To explore the association between chemotherapeutic agents and practical sarcopenia markers, including SARC-F scores and grip strength, among oncology outpatients with advanced cancer, and to explore the relationship between chemotherapy exposure (cycle number) and functional muscle decline.

A secondary analysis of a primary cross-sectional dataset of 324 patients who attended outpatient clinics at Princess Noorah Oncology Center, Jeddah. Sarcopenia was assessed via the SARC-F questionnaire and digital grip strength measurement. Associations between chemotherapeutic agents and sarcopenia markers were evaluated using inferential analyses, and agents showing significant bivariate associations were further analyzed using multiple linear regression.

Among chemotherapeutic agents, paclitaxel was independently associated with higher SARC-F scores (β = 1.19, 95% CI: 0.26-2.12, P = 0.013) and significantly lower grip strength (median: 28.1 kg vs. 41.3 kg, P < 0.001). Vinblastine showed a negative association with SARC-F in unadjusted analysis (P = 0.025), but not after adjustment (P = 0.269). No significant correlations were found between the number of chemotherapy cycles and either grip strength (R = 0.099, P = 0.212) or SARC-F score (R = 0.066, P = 0.405).

Paclitaxel use is an independent predictor of functional decline in cancer patients, highlighting the need for early sarcopenia screening and tailored supportive care during taxane-based chemotherapy.