Protocolo diagnóstico y terapéutico de la sarcopenia en los tumores gastrointestinales

Sarcopenia is an age-related muscle disease characterized by a decrease in skeletal muscle mass, strength, and functionality. The prevalence is very high in patients with gastrointestinal tumors due to the direct involvement of swallowing and digestion. Despite a lack of consensus, it is recommended to screen for nutritional risk at the time the tumor is diagnosed and to develop an individualized treatment plan. The diagnosis of sarcopenia will be made taking into account the low strength and muscle mass according to the criteria proposed by the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People (EWGSOP/EWGSOP2). Early multifactorial treatment based on nutritional and pharmacological therapy together with physical exercise has been shown to decrease the incidence of sarcopenia throughout the course of the disease. Sarcopenia is an independent prognostic factor of tumor disease because it decreases the efficacy of oncological treatments, which increases the rate of tumor recurrence and, in general terms, entails a decrease in survival.