The Effect of The Body Composition to Prognosis in Young Breast Cancer Patients
Abstract Background In cancer patients, the effect of the body composition on prognosis is a new clinical area of interest. In patients with class 2 or 3 obesity (BMI > 35), survival found to be worse control groups in a pooled analysis. BMI category is not truly representing body composition and hard to use to determine the true muscle and fat quantity. Computed tomography (CT) is a frequent method to determine body composition precisely.Methods Axial CT images, including all abdominal muscles (psoas, erector spinae, quadratus lumborum) external and internal oblique and rectus abdominis) total skeletal muscle area (SMA), was calculated. Besides, axial CT images of the body fat subcutaneous adipose and visceral adipose tissue distribution (VAT, SAT) areas were calculated in cm2 using threshold values of -30 to -190 for adipose tissue.Results Eighty-four women included in the study. Most of the patients were normal or over-weighted. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the dominant histological subtypes, with 94% of the study population. The count of the sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients was 11 and 68 respectively. Although the median OS cannot be reached at the end of the follow-up period for both sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients, the difference between groups statistically insignificant. The median OS was not reached for both groups, the difference between low and high VAT groups was statistically significant.Conclusion In this study, we demonstrate sarcopenia may be seen in patients with breast cancer under 40 years old, and it may not have a prognostic effect.