Older adults, appendicular anthropometric measurements, and poor functional performance are predictors of sarcopenia in individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

• Published in: Supportive care in cancer Vol. 32; no. 1; p. 82
• Main Authors: Pereira, Luciana Mara Barbosa, Ruas, Hérika Maria Silveira, de Freitas Filho, Walter, Alves, Wislene Sarajane Moreira, Dias, Gabrielle Oliveira, Durães, Cristina Paixão, Monteiro-Junior, Renato Sobral, Santos, Sérgio Henrique Sousa, Farias, Lucyana Conceição, Guimarães, André Luiz Sena, Haikal, Desirée Sant´Ana, Cardoso, Cláudio Marcelo, de Paula, Alfredo Mauricio Batista
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-01-2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Body measurements; Clinical outcomes; Head & neck cancer; Health risks; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Nursing; Nursing Research; Older people; Oncology; Pain Medicine; Rehabilitation Medicine; Sarcopenia; Squamous cell carcinoma; Sarcopenia; Circulating biomarkers; Skeletal muscle disorder; Anthropometry; Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; Nutritional status; Physical performance status
• DOI: 10.1007/s00520-023-08254-9
• EISSN: 1433-7339
• ISSN: 0941-4355

Objective
To identify predictors of sarcopenia (demographical, anthropometric measurements, tumor-related clinical characteristics, performance status, and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels in individuals with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).
Material and methods
This cross-sectional study selected diagnosed with HNSCC (
n
 = 125). Sarcopenia was defined as low muscle strength and low physical performance. Association between sarcopenia and anthropometric assessments (weight, height, body mass index, triceps skinfold, mid-upper arm circumference [MUAC], mid-upper arm muscle circumference, mid-upper arm fat area [UFA], mid-upper arm bone free muscle area, calf circumference, and appendicular skeletal muscle mass and index), tumor clinical characteristics (anatomical site, tumor size, and cervical metastasis), performance status scale (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group Performance Status [ECOG-PS]), and CRP and albumin levels was analyzed using binary logistic regression models.
Results
The diagnosis of sarcopenia was identified in 28 (22.4%) individuals with HNSCC. Being an older adult increases the odds of association with sarcopenia in individuals with HNSCC (odds ratio [OR] = 1.05). Increments in MUAC measurement reduce the odds of association with sarcopenia (OR = 0.69), while the increase in the UFA measurement increases the odds of association with sarcopenia (OR = 1.33). Poor ECOG-PS scores increase the odds of association with sarcopenia in individuals with HNSCC (OR = 5.54).
Conclusion
Early identification of easy-to-perform, cost-effective predictors of sarcopenia tends to favor the implementation of personalized therapeutic and supportive interventions in individuals with HNSCC.