Is testicular germ cell cancer associated with increased muscle mass or adiposity?
BACKGROUND
The correlation between an increased body mass index and testicular germ cell cancer has been a topical subject matter of literature. The thesis examines whether for patients with germ cell cancer of the testis the relation between the body cross section and the muscle mass at a particular spot at the abdomen is dislocated toward muscle hypertrophy.


METHODS
CT examinations of 120 patients with testicular tumor have been compared to CTs of 60 trauma surgery patients.


METHODS
In thickness of the layer at the lowest point of the umbilicus the area of the total body cross section and the Mm. psoas majores were determined and their quotient was calculated. Furthermore, the thickness of the M. rectus abdominis and the Mm. obliquii abdominis have been determined at the broadest spot.


RESULTS
The reproducibility of the measured data has been extremely high (kappa >0.9). There has been no significant difference in any of the examined parameters between the comparison group and the total patient group.


CONCLUSIONS
According to the literature, patients with germ cell cancer of the testis on average show a higher body-mass-index (BMI) compared to a comparable group of equivalent age. The height of the umbilicus is a body region, where for adipose humans the amplitude increases markedly, hence for reference measurement appropriate. On the basis of the outcome of this thesis, the most probable explanation for the BMI rise is weight gain at other body parts.
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Ageing Research, Vienna, Austria. manuel.gmeiner@tmo.at
Manuel
M
Gmeiner
Stephan
S
Hruby
Andreas
A
Nachbagauer
Wolfgang
W
Krampla
D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015897:Comorbidity; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D009373:Neoplasms, Germ Cell and Embryonal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011859:Radiography; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D013736:Testicular Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
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