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Sarcopenia is a Predictor of Postoperative Respiratory Complications in Patients with Esophageal Cancer

  • Thoracic Oncology
  • Published:
Annals of Surgical Oncology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Depletion of skeletal muscle mass (sarcopenia) indicates a poor prognosis for patients with several kinds of cancer, but it remains unclear whether esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is among these cancers. The aim of this study was to clarify the relationship between sarcopenia and postoperative outcome in patients with ESCC treated by esophagectomy.

Methods

Skeletal muscle mass was assessed in 138 patients who underwent esophagectomy from August 2009 to May 2014. A multifrequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (InBody 720; Biospace, Tokyo, Japan) was used to assess skeletal muscle mass just before surgery. Postoperative complications were graded according to the Clavien–Dindo classification, and univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for postoperative respiratory complications.

Results

Sarcopenia was determined in 61 patients (44.2 %). Preoperative pulmonary function was significantly lower and the rate of respiratory complications significantly higher in the sarcopenia group than in the non-sarcopenia group (p < 0.01). For other complications, the differences were not significant. Multivariate analysis showed that sarcopenia [odds ratio (OR) 5.82; p = 0.0001] and longer operation time (OR 3.09; p = 0.04) were risk factors for the occurrence of respiratory complications.

Conclusions

Sarcopenia may be a predictor of pulmonary complications after esophagectomy. Further analysis is needed to clarify whether nutritional intervention improves skeletal muscle mass and thus contributes to reducing postoperative respiratory complications in sarcopenic patients.

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Disclosure

All authors have no financial interests or potential conflicts of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto, Japan

    Satoshi Ida MD, PhD, Naoya Yoshida MD, PhD, FACS, Yoshifumi Baba MD, PhD, Naoki Umezaki MD, Kazuto Harada MD, Ryuichi Karashima MD, Yu Imamura MD, PhD, Shiro Iwagami MD, PhD, FACS & Hideo Baba MD, PhD, FACS

  2. Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Cancer Institute Hospital of Japanese Foundation for Cancer Research, Tokyo, Japan

    Satoshi Ida MD, PhD & Masayuki Watanabe MD, PhD, FACS

Authors
  1. Satoshi Ida MD, PhD
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  2. Masayuki Watanabe MD, PhD, FACS
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  3. Naoya Yoshida MD, PhD, FACS
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  4. Yoshifumi Baba MD, PhD
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  5. Naoki Umezaki MD
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  6. Kazuto Harada MD
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  7. Ryuichi Karashima MD
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  8. Yu Imamura MD, PhD
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  9. Shiro Iwagami MD, PhD, FACS
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  10. Hideo Baba MD, PhD, FACS
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hideo Baba MD, PhD, FACS.

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Ida, S., Watanabe, M., Yoshida, N. et al. Sarcopenia is a Predictor of Postoperative Respiratory Complications in Patients with Esophageal Cancer. Ann Surg Oncol 22, 4432–4437 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4559-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/s10434-015-4559-3

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