title: Clinical implications of sarcopenia in patients undergoing complete resection for early non-small cell lung cancer.
abstract: Sarcopenia is characterized by progressive and generalized loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength. We aimed to investigate sarcopenia in patients with stage I non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who underwent complete resection, and the relationship of sarcopenia with clinicopathological factors.
  
  
  
  All consecutive patients who underwent lung resection between January 2005 and December 2008 were enrolled in this retrospective study. Eligible patients were assigned to one of 2 groups according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia, as assessed by the sum of cross-sectional areas of skeletal muscles in the region of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) on preoperative computed tomography (CT).
  
  
  
  Sixteen of 52 male (30.8%) and 22 of 38 female (57.9%) patients were identified with sarcopenia (p=0.01). Patients with sarcopenia were more likely to have a low body mass index (BMI) (p<0.0001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that patients with sarcopenia had a significantly worse outcome than patients without sarcopenia (5-year-survival: 72.8% vs 85.8%, respectively, p=0.028). Multivariate analysis found that sarcopenia was a significant independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 7.09, p=0.0008).
  
  
  
  Sarcopenia identified on a cross-sectional CT image of the L3 level was associated with poor outcome with completely resected early-stage NSCLC.
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Yuzo
authors: Y
authors: Suzuki
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan. Electronic address: tatsuro@surg2.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp.
authors: Tatsuro
authors: T
authors: Okamoto
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Takatoshi
authors: T
authors: Fujishita
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Masakazu
authors: M
authors: Katsura
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Takaki
authors: T
authors: Akamine
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Shinkichi
authors: S
authors: Takamori
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Yosuke
authors: Y
authors: Morodomi
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Tetsuzo
authors: T
authors: Tagawa
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Fumihiro
authors: F
authors: Shoji
authors: Department of Surgery and Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Japan.
authors: Yoshihiko
authors: Y
authors: Maehara
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055948:Sarcopenia / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods
keywords: Computed tomography; Non-small cell lung cancer; Prognosis; Sarcopenia