Longitudinal Changes in CT Body Composition in Patients Undergoing Surgery for Colorectal Cancer and Associations With Peri-Operative Clinicopathological Characteristics.

There is evidence for the direct association between body composition, the magnitude of the systemic inflammatory response, and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with a primary operable disease with and without follow-up CT scans were examined in this study. CT scans were used to define the presence and changes in subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle mass, and skeletal muscle density (SMD). In total, 804 patients had follow-up scans and 83 patients did not. Furthermore, 783 (97%) patients with follow-up scans and 60 (72%) patients without follow-up scans were alive at 1 year. Patients with follow-up scans were younger (p < 0.001), had a lower American Society of Anaesthesiology Grade (p < 0.01), underwent a laparoscopic surgery (p < 0.05), had a higher BMI (p < 0.05), a higher skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p < 0.01), a higher SMD (p < 0.01), and a better 1-year survival (p < 0.001). Overall only 20% of the patients showed changes in their SMI (n = 161) and an even lower percentage of patients showed relative changes of 10% (n = 82) or more. In conclusion, over the period of ~12 months, a low-skeletal muscle mass was associated with a systemic inflammatory response and was largely maintained following surgical resection.

The relationship between 18F-FDG-PETCT-derived tumour metabolic activity, nutritional risk, body composition, systemic inflammation and survival in patients with lung cancer.

The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between PET-CT derived tumour glucose uptake as measured by maximum standard glucose uptake (SUVmax) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), nutritional risk as measured by the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST), CT derived body composition as measured by skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD), the systemic inflammatory response as measured by the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and survival in patients with lung cancer, treated with radiotherapy. In a retrospective cohort study, 119 patients were included in final analyses. The majority of patients were over 65 (86%), female (52%), had a performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0 or 1 (57%), were at nutritional risk (57%), were overweight (53%), had visceral obesity (62%), had a normal SMI (51%), had a low SMD (62%) and were systemically inflammed (mGPS 1/2, 51%). An elevated TLG was associated with sex (p < 0.05), TNM stage (p < 0.001), MUST (p < 0.01) and mGPS (p < 0.01). An elevated mGPS was associated with age (p < 0.05), NLR (p < 0.01), MUST (p < 0.01), and TLG (p < 0.01). On univariate survival analysis, TNM stage (p < 0.01), mGPS (p < 0.05), NLR (p < 0.01), MUST (p ≤ 0.001), Low SMD (p < 0.05), SUVmax (p ≤ 0.001) and TLG (p < 0.001) were associated with overall survival. On multivariate survival analysis MUST (HR: 1.49 95%CI 1.12-01.98 p < 0.01) and TLG (HR: 2.02 95%CI 1.34-3.04 p = 0.001) remained independently associated with survival. In conclusion, elevated tumour metabolic activity was associated with more advanced stage, greater nutritional risk, the systemic inflammatory response and poorer survival but not body composition analysis in patients with lung cancer. These results suggest that detrimental body composition is not directly determined by tumour metabolic activity but rather an ongoing systemic inflammatory response.

Comparison of the prognostic value of MUST, ECOG-PS, mGPS and CT derived body composition analysis in patients with advanced lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Assessment of malnutrition, performance status and systemic inflammation are routine aspects of clinical assessment in patients with advanced cancer. There is increasing evidence that body composition measurements from routine staging CT also have prognostic value. To date the relative prognostic value of Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST), Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status (ECOG-PS), modified Glasgow Prognostic score (mGPS) and CT derived body composition analysis in patients with advanced lung cancer has not been examined. The aim of the present study was to examine this relationship. METHODS: Clinicopathological characteristics including MUST, ECOG-PS, mGPS and body composition data were collected pre-radiotherapy from a prospectively maintained database of patients with advanced lung cancer (n = 643). Using the MUST score, patients were classified into low (MUST = 0, n = 189), medium (MUST = 1, n = 341) and high (MUST ≥ 2, n = 113) malnutrition risk and their relationship to systemic inflammatory response (SIR) and body composition with clinical outcomes were examined using univariate and multivariate analyses. Primary outcome of the study was overall survival. RESULTS: Compared with the patients at low nutrition risk (MUST = 0), patients at moderate to high risk (MUST 1-≥2) had poorer ECOG-PS > 1 (p < 0.01), elevated modified frailty index (mFI) (p < 0.001), elevated mGPS (p < 0.001), lower skeletal muscle index (SMI, p < 0.01) but not lower skeletal muscle density (SMD, p = 0.115). MUST was an important prognostic marker of 12 months overall survival (p = 0.001). On multivariate analysis, higher MUST (HR 1.16, 95% CI 1.03-1.31, p < 0.05), ECOG-PS > 1 (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.10-1.39, p < 0.001), elevated mGPS (HR 1.20, 95% CI 1.09-1.33, p < 0.001) were independently associated with overall survival. CONCLUSION: A large proportion of patients (71%) with advanced lung cancer were at moderate to high nutrition risk. Higher malnutrition risk and elevated inflammatory status were independently associated with poor overall survival. MUST, ECOG-PS and mGPS all had independent prognostic value and may form an important prognostic framework in treatment decision making and resource utilization.

Computed tomography-derived body composition analysis in patients with advanced cancer: clinical utility and future research.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With weight loss increasingly occurring against a background of obesity across a variety of advanced cancers, there has been increasing interest in computed tomography (CT)-derived body composition analysis. Various imaging software packages and thresholds are commonly in use in CT-derived body composition analysis. This review discusses the current research in field of body composition with emphasis on the information required for such measurements to be taken into routine clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: CT is widely used for tumour staging in patients with cancer. Over the last decade, this imaging modality has been exploited to make measurements of body composition. Using a common landmark (L3) several different thresholds have been developed to stratify adipose and muscle tissue areas according to age, sex and BMI and their relationship with survival. A significant relationship between CT-derived body composition and clinical outcomes has been shown in different tumour types and geographical locations. However, there is considerable variation with methods, thresholds and muscle groups used for analysis. Therefore, there would appear to be a need to develop reliable methodology and population-specific reference ranges to guide clinical interpretation and enable routine clinical use. SUMMARY: There has been an explosion of clinical research interest in CT-derived body composition analysis. Such body composition analysis provides important host phenotype information which has prognostic value. For CT-derived body composition to be fit for use in routine clinical practice, there is need for universally accepted terminology, software, muscle group selection, prognostic thresholds to standardize such body composition analysis.

The relationship between computed tomography derived skeletal muscle index, psoas muscle index and clinical outcomes in patients with operable colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography-based measures of body composition are emerging as important prognostic factors for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between total skeletal muscle index (SMI), psoas muscle index (PMI) and clinical outcomes in patients with operable CRC. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of prospectively maintained database at Glasgow Royal Infirmary. CT image at L3 was carried out to assess total skeletal and psoas muscle areas and these were normalized for height squared to calculate SMI and PMI respectively. Patients were classified into high and low groups using calculated optimal thresholds and their relationship to clinical outcomes was studied using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Of the 1002 patients included, 55% were male, 50% had low SMI and 42% had low PMI. A moderate correlation was found between total skeletal muscle and psoas areas (rs = 0.70, p < 0.001). On univariate analysis, low SMI was associated with length of hospital stay (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.15-1.89, p = 0.002) and overall survival (HR, 2.29; 95% CI, 1.47-3.58, p < 0.001). On multivariate analysis, low SMI was independently associated with length of hospital stay (HR 1.32; 95% CI, 1.02-1.70, p < 0.05). On univariate analysis, low PMI was associated with length of hospital stay (OR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.04-1.73, p < 0.05) and overall survival (OR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10-1.86 p < 0.01). On multivariate analysis, low PMI was not independently significant. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that though both total skeletal muscle index and psoas muscle index were directly associated and had prognostic value, total skeletal muscle index had independent prognostic value in patients with operable CRC.

The Relationship between Imaging-Based Body Composition Analysis and the Systemic Inflammatory Response in Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review.

Background and aim: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Nutritional status (cachexia) and systemic inflammation play a significant role in predicting cancer outcome. The aim of the present review was to examine the relationship between imaging-based body composition and systemic inflammation in patients with cancer. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched up to 31 March 2019 for published articles using MESH terms cancer, body composition, systemic inflammation, Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound sonography (USS) and computed tomography (CT). Studies performed in adult patients with cancer describing the relationship between imaging-based body composition and measures of the systemic inflammatory response were included in this review. Results: The literature search retrieved 807 studies and 23 met the final eligibility criteria and consisted of prospective and retrospective cohort studies comprising 11,474 patients. CT was the most common imaging modality used (20 studies) and primary operable (16 studies) and colorectal cancer (10 studies) were the most commonly studied cancers. Low skeletal muscle index (SMI) and systemic inflammation were consistently associated; both had a prognostic value and this relationship between low SMI and systemic inflammation was confirmed in four longitudinal studies. There was also evidence that skeletal muscle density (SMD) and systemic inflammation were associated (9 studies). Discussion: The majority of studies examining the relationship between CT based body composition and systemic inflammation were in primary operable diseases and in patients with colorectal cancer. These studies showed that there was a consistent association between low skeletal muscle mass and the presence of a systemic inflammatory response. These findings have important implications for the definition of cancer cachexia and its treatment.

Malignant melanomatic mass of right heel.

Malignant melanoma mostly occurs in sun-exposed areas and is less common in covered areas. We report a patient, who presented with painless gradually increasing mass arising from the right heel, that was found to be a malignant melanoma. Treatment with local excision led to complete resolution of symptoms. To-date, 36 months after the diagnosis, the patient is still in complete remission. The diagnosis of melanoma should be considered in the presence of non-healing skin lesion and should be biopsied and treated according to Breslow thickness and presence or absence of metastases.