Risk factors for sarcopenia in patients with head and neck cancer
Chen Liu, Ling Cheng, Wenfeng Ye, Lizhu Lin- Otorhinolaryngology
Abstract
Objective
Sarcopenia is a common condition among patients with cancer. To better understand the prevalence of sarcopenia in patients with head and neck cancer (
Methods
Six hundred and seventeen patients with HNC were recruited for this cross‐sectional observational study, and the data were analyzed using logistic regression analyses. The bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was used to measure skeletal muscle mass, and sarcopenia was diagnosed according to the 2019 diagnostic criteria of the Asian Sarcopenia Working Group (AWGS).
Results
Among the 617 patients enrolled in the study, 115 (18.6%) had sarcopenia. The prevalence of sarcopenia was 29.1% in males and 8% in females. In the multivariate analysis, older age (OR = 12.266, 95% CI: 3.864–38.934, p < 0.01), body fat (OR = 1.775, 95% CI: 1.511–2.084, p < 0.01), and sex (OR = 138.659, 95% CI: 42.382–453.642, p < 0.01) were independent risk factors for sarcopenia. Body mass index (BMI) (OR = 0.137, 95% CI: 0.09–0.21, p < 0.01), and total body water/fat free mass (TBW/FFM) (OR = 0.122, 95% CI: 0.031–0.474, p < 0.01) were protective factors for sarcopenia; we observed that sarcopenia decreased with increasing BMI and TBW/FFM.
Conclusions
Male sex, advanced age, and excess body fat were identified as risk factors for sarcopenia in patients with HNC, whereas a higher BMI and TBW/FFM acted as protective factors against sarcopenia in these patients.