Body Composition as a Prognostic Factor of Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Toxicity and Outcome in Patients with Locally Advanced Gastric Cancer.
OBJECTIVE
Neoadjuvant chemotherapy has been shown to improve survival in locally advanced gastric cancer, but it is associated with significant toxicity. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity have been studied in several types of cancers and have been reported to be associated with higher chemotherapy toxicity and morbi-mortality. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of sarcopenia/sarcopenic obesity in patients with gastric cancer, as well as its association with chemotherapy toxicity and long-term outcomes.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed using an academic cancer center patient cohort diagnosed with locally advanced gastric cancer between January 2012 and December 2014 and treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. We analyzed body composition (skeletal muscle and visceral fat index) in axial computed tomography images.


RESULTS
A total of 48 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean age was 68±10 years, and 33 patients (69%) were men. Dose-limiting toxicity was observed in 22 patients (46%), and treatment was terminated early owing to toxicity in 17 patients (35%). Median follow-up was 17 months. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were found at diagnosis in 23% and 10% of patients, respectively. We observed an association between termination of chemotherapy and both sarcopenia (P=0.069) and sarcopenic obesity (P=0.004). On multivariate analysis, the odds of treatment termination were higher in patients with sarcopenia (odds ratio=4.23; P=0.050). Patients with sarcopenic obesity showed lower overall survival (median survival of 6 months [95% confidence interval {CI}=3.9-8.5] vs. 25 months [95% CI=20.2-38.2]; log-rank test P=0.000).


CONCLUSIONS
Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were associated with early termination of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with gastric cancer; additionally, sarcopenic obesity was associated with poor survival.
Division of Gastroenterology, Surgical Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Carolina
C
Palmela
Nutrition Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Sónia
S
Velho
Radiology Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Lisa
L
Agostinho
Oncology Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Francisco
F
Branco
General Surgery Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Marta
M
Santos
Division of Gastroenterology, Surgical Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Maria Pia Costa
MP
Santos
Pathology Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Maria Helena
MH
Oliveira
Radiology Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
João
J
Strecht
General Surgery Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Rui
R
Maio
Division of Gastroenterology, Surgical Department, Hospital Beatriz Ângelo, Loures, Portugal .
Marília
M
Cravo
Division of Palliative Care Medicine, Department of Oncology, Cross Cancer Institute, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada .
Vickie E
VE
Baracos
Body composition; Neoadjuvant therapy; Prognosis; Sarcopenia; Stomach neoplasms