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Relationship between skeletal muscle function, body composition, and weight loss in patients with advanced pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers

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Abstract

Background

Muscle function and its correlation with body composition and weight loss have not been studied deeply in pancreas and gastrointestinal cancers. This research aims to determine the skeletal muscle function and its relationship with body compartments, significant weight loss, and performance status (ECOG) 0-2 in a population with advanced digestive cancers.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was designed to determine the relationship between muscular function, weight loss, and body composition. Patients with advanced digestive adenocarcinomas were evaluated. Muscle strength was examined by hand grip technique and body composition by bioimpedance analysis. Values of hemoglobin and albumin were measured in plasma.

Results

A sample of 81 patients was included. They had adenocarcinoma of stomach (n = 9), pancreas (n = 28), or colorectum (n = 44). With regard to skeletal muscle function, sub-maximal strength increased when percentage of weight loss decreased (p = 0.002) or when any of the following variables increased: skeletal muscle (p < 0.001), waist-hip ratio (p < 0.001), body surface area (p < 0.001), and body mass index (p = 0.001). According to multivariate analysis of these variables, only percentage of weight loss and skeletal muscle remained statistically significant. Endurance had no correlation with any of the variables. Higher weight loss was found in tumors of the upper tract (stomach and pancreas) in comparison with those of the lower tract (colorectal) (p = 0.005).

Conclusions

In advanced digestive cancer, sub-maximal strength correlated inversely with weight loss and directly with skeletal muscle such as in lung and head and neck cancers. On the other hand, endurance had no correlation with any of the variables considered.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Cancer Institute of Argentina for making this study possible. We also thank Vera Wassermann for her valuable help.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Translational Research Unit, Instituto de Oncología Ángel H. Roffo, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    P. Cresta Morgado & A. Navigante

  2. Pallium Latinoamerica, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. Daud, G. De Simone & A. Navigante

  3. Section of Clinical Oncology, Hospital de Gastroenterología Bonorino Udaondo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    M. Carballido, G. Méndez & S. Iseas

  4. Nutrition Unit, Hospital de Gastroenterología Bonorino Udaondo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    V. Lobbe

  5. Section of Palliative Care Medicine, Hospital de Gastroenterología Bonorino Udaondo, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    G. De Simone

  6. Hospital Bonorino Udaondo, Caseros 2061 (C1264AAA), 1er Piso Pabellón C, Buenos Aires, Argentina

    A. Navigante

Authors
  1. P. Cresta Morgado
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  2. M. Daud
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  3. M. Carballido
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  4. G. Méndez
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  5. S. Iseas
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  6. V. Lobbe
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  8. A. Navigante
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to A. Navigante.

Ethics declarations

The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Bonorino Udaondo Gastroenerology Hospital of the city of Buenos Aires and met the recommendations stated in Helsinki Declaration. All the patients signed informed consent.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have conflict of interest.

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Cresta Morgado, P., Daud, M., Carballido, M. et al. Relationship between skeletal muscle function, body composition, and weight loss in patients with advanced pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers. Support Care Cancer 27, 1181–1186 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4421-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-018-4421-9

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