Body composition may be linked with worse outcomes in sarcoma

Adiposity is associated with adverse operative outcomes in patients with retroperitoneal and trunk sarcoma whereas myosteatosis is independently associated with postoperative morbidity and adverse oncologic outcomes, according to a study.

In this study, 95 patients (43.2% retroperitoneal, 48.4% trunk, 46.3% multivisceral resection) undergoing treatment had subcutaneous fat area and visceral fat areas, intramuscular adipose, lean body mass, and fat mass measured at the time of diagnosis.

Overall, 47.4% of patients had visceral obesity. Postoperative morbidity occurred in 25.9% of patients. According to a multivariable analysis, preoperative radiotherapy and fat mass were independent predictors of postoperative morbidity.

Intramuscular adipose independently predicted inpatient length of stay; wound infection; and major postoperative morbidity. During neoadjuvant therapy, it predicted disease progression and on multivariable analysis it independently predicted disease specific survival and overall survival.

Increasing fat mass, subcutaneous fat area, and intramuscular adipose were each associated with greater tumor size.

Reference
Boyle EA, Elliott JA, McIntyre TV, et al. Body composition is associated with operative and oncologic outcomes in the management of retroperitoneal and trunk soft tissue sarcoma. Am J Surg. 2021;S0002-9610(21)00464-5. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2021.08.005. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34389158.