Preoperative Masseter Muscle Sarcopenia Predicts Mortality in Patients With Oesophageal Cancer
Teppei Kamada, Hironori Ohdaira, Eisaku Ito, Yoshinobu Fuse, Junji Takahashi, Keigo Nakashima, Yuichi Nakaseko, Masashi Yoshida, Ken Eto, Yutaka Suzuki
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM: The impact of masseter muscle sarcopenia on the prognosis of patients with oesophageal cancer after oesophagectomy remains unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analysed data from 70 patients with oesophageal cancer who underwent oesophagectomy between 2013 and 2019. Overall survival and disease-free survival rates were analysed using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier curves with the log-rank test. RESULTS: Masseter muscle sarcopenia was diagnosed in 36 patients. Multivariate analysis identified cytokeratin 19 fragment >1.1 (p=0.04); stage II, III, and IV cancer (p=0.01); and masseter muscle sarcopenia (p<0.01) as significant independent predictors of disease-free survival. Stage II, III, and IV cancer (p<0.01); masseter muscle sarcopenia (p<0.01); and postoperative pneumonia (p<0.01) were significant independent predictors of overall survival. CONCLUSION: Preoperative masseter muscle sarcopenia could be a strong predictor of long-term outcomes in patients who undergo oesophagectomy for oesophageal cancer.