Evaluation of Psoas Muscle Index for Prognosis Prediction in Patients with Ovarian Cancer: A Retrospective 2-Center Cohort Study.

Background: Ovarian cancer is a leading cause of death among gynecological cancers. The prognosis depends mainly on the diagnosis stage. Sarcopenia, characterized by muscle wasting, significantly impacts cancer prognosis. This study aimed to examine the importance of the psoas muscle index in predicting outcomes for ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with 73 patients treated between 2011 and 2021 at Akbarabadi Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital and Rasool-Akram General Hospital in Tehran, Iran. The psoas muscle index was calculated from the sectional area of the psoas muscle at the third lumbar vertebra using computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Data collection included demographic information, cancer stage, pathology, and treatment outcomes. Statistical analyses, including logistic and Cox regressions, evaluated the association between the psoas muscle index and patient outcomes.

Results: The psoas muscle index was significantly higher in patients without treatment failure (173 ± 28.94) compared with those with treatment failure (149.75 ± 20.39) (P = 0.016). Logistic regression analysis indicated that an increased psoas muscle index was an independent predictor for better survival outcomes (odds ratio [OR], 0.891 [95% CI, 0.786-1.01]).

Conclusion: The findings highlight the importance of sarcopenia in the prognosis of ovarian cancer. This study supports the potential of the psoas muscle index as a noninvasive and accessible prognostic tool in clinical practice.