Is sarcopenia effective on survival in patients with metastatic gastric cancer?

BACKGROUND Sarcopenia is a progressively diminishing state characterized by the reduction of muscle mass and density, which is frequently observed in malignancies of solid organs. AIM To assess how sarcopenia affects the overall survival of individuals who have been diagnosed with metastatic gastric cancer. METHODS The study retrospectively included individuals who had been diagnosed with metastatic gastric cancer between January 2008 and December 2020. Sarcopenia was identified through the calculation of the average Hounsfield units (HUAC) using computed tomography (CT) images taken at the time of diagnosis in patients. RESULTS A total of 118 patients with metastatic gastric cancer were evaluated. Sarcopenia was detected in 29 patients (24.6%). The median survival of all patients was 8 (1-43) mo. The median survival of patients with sarcopenia was 2 mo, while it was 10 mo for those without sarcopenia (P < 0.001). A significant relationship was found between sarcopenia and survival. CONCLUSION Sarcopenia has been observed to impact survival outcomes in various types of solid tumor cancers. Sarcopenic patients can be identified in a short time, easily and inexpensively, by HUAC measurements from CT images used for diagnosis, and survival could be promoted with nutritional support.