Sarcopenia increases the risk of post-operative recurrence in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

Abstract

BackgroundSarcopenia is among the most prevalent and serious cancer-related symptom, and is strongly correlated with a poor prognosis. Moreover, it reportedly predicts poor prognosis after surgery in patients with lung cancer. However, it is unclear whether sarcopenia directly affects post-operative recurrence. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether sarcopenia can be a risk indicator for post-operative recurrence, and whether it suppresses anti-tumor immunity, in a cohort of patients with resected non-small cell lung cancer.MethodsThis study retrospectively reviewed the data of 256 consecutive patients who underwent curative lobectomy and lymph node dissection for non-small cell lung cancer at our institution. The psoas muscle mass index was calculated as the total psoas muscle area at the third lumbar vertebral level/height2 (cm2/m2). Sarcopenia was defined by a psoas muscle mass index of under 5.03 cm2/m2 and 3.17 cm2/m2 in male and female patients, respectively. Post-operative prognosis and cumulative incidence of recurrence rates were calculated.ResultsThe 5-year overall survival and disease-free survival rates post-surgery were 59.5% and 38.6%, respectively, in patients with sarcopenia versus 81.1% and 72.1%, respectively, in patients without sarcopenia (p ConclusionSarcopenia is a risk indicator for post-operative recurrence in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.