title: Intra-abdominal fat predicts survival in pancreatic cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) has proven unreliable in predicting survival following pancreaticoduodenectomy for cancer. While measures of intra-abdominal fat correlate with medical and postoperative complications of obesity, the impact of intra-abdominal fat on pancreatic cancer survival is uncertain. We hypothesized that the quantity of intra-abdominal fat would predict survival following resection of pancreatic cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  Preoperative CT imaging was used to measure intra-abdominal fat. Cox regression analyses were used to identify independent predictors of survival.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-one patients from 2000-2009 underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy for exocrine pancreatic adenocarcinoma. After adjusting for age and perineural invasion status, preoperative BMI did not predict overall survival (p < 0.827). Unlike BMI, quartile of intra-abdominal fat predicted survival. Relative to patients with the least intra-abdominal fat (lowest quartile), those with more intra-abdominal fat demonstrated worse overall survival, but in a non-linear fashion. Individuals in the second quartile showed a fourfold increase in likelihood of death (HR 4.018, 95% CI 1.099-14.687, p < 0.035) relative to the lowest quartile. Patients in the third (HR 2.124, 95% CI 0.278-16.222, p < 0.468) and fourth quartile (HR 1.354, 95% CI 0.296-6.190, p < 0.696) also showed greater risk of death.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Measuring intra-abdominal fat identifies a subset of patients with worse prognosis in pancreatic cancer.
authors: Michael E DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX 77030, USA. cb131098@bcm.tmc.edu
authors: Courtney J
authors: CJ
authors: Balentine
authors: Jose
authors: J
authors: Enriquez
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Fisher
authors: Sally
authors: S
authors: Hodges
authors: Vivek
authors: V
authors: Bansal
authors: Shubhada
authors: S
authors: Sansgiry
authors: Nancy J
authors: NJ
authors: Petersen
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Berger
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D050152:Intra-Abdominal Fat / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016577:Pancreaticoduodenectomy; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D015996:Survival Rate; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed