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Sarcopenia at the infrahyoid level as a prognostic factor in patients with advanced-stage non-virus-related head and neck carcinoma

  • Head and Neck
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European Archives of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to assess whether the infrahyoid skeletal muscle index (IHSMI) can be used instead of the L3 skeletal muscle index (L3SMI) to define sarcopenia and predict prognosis in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (LHNSCC).

Methods

Patients treated for LHNSCC between January 2009 and April 2018 were assessed. The muscular area at the L3 transverse process and infrahyoid was contoured on absorption-corrected computed tomography prior to treatment. Sarcopenia based on L3SMI (S-L) was defined as values of < 52.4 cm2/m2 for men and < 38.5 cm2/m2 for women. Sarcopenia based on IHSMI (S-I) was determined via receiver operating curve analysis. Overall survival (OS) and cause-specific survival (CSS) curves were constructed using the Kaplan–Meier method.

Results

In total, 101 patients were analyzed. The median follow-up period was 19 months (range 3–101 month). S-L and S-I were identified in 74 (73.3%) and 56 patients (55.4%), respectively. The 5-year OS rate did not differ between patients with and without S-L (64.9% vs. 79.2%, p = 0.635), whereas the rate was lower in patients with S-I than without S-I (57.1% vs. 93.0%, p = 0.006). Similarly, the 5-year CSS rate did not differ between patients with and without S-L (77.0% vs. 82.3%, p = 0.523), but the rate was lower in patients with S-I (61.2% vs. 93.0%, p = 0.02).

Conclusion

Pretreatment S-I, but not S-L, was a good predictor of OS and CSS in patients with LHNSCC.

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Data availability

The data generated or analyzed during the current study are included in this article.

Code availability

Not applicable to this study.

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Funding

The authors received no funding support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Tokyo Medical University, 6-7-1 Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 160-0023, Japan

    Daisuke Yunaiyama, Mitsuru Okubo, Eri Arizono & Kazuhiro Saito

  2. Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Kiyoaki Tsukahara

  3. Department of Anatomic Pathology, Tokyo Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Maki Tanigawa & Toshitaka Nagao

Authors
  1. Daisuke Yunaiyama
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  2. Mitsuru Okubo
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  3. Eri Arizono
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  4. Kiyoaki Tsukahara
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  5. Maki Tanigawa
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  6. Toshitaka Nagao
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  7. Kazuhiro Saito
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Contributions

DY, MO, EA, KT, MT, TN, and KS were involved in study design. DY, MO, EA, and KS were involved in data interpretation. DY, MO, and EA were involved in the data analysis. All the authors critically revised the report, commented on drafts of the manuscript, and approved the final report.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daisuke Yunaiyama.

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Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This retrospective cohort study was approved by the institutional ethical board (Approval number: SH4112). This clinical investigation was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki principles.

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The requirement for written informed consent was waived.

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Not applicable to this study.

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Yunaiyama, D., Okubo, M., Arizono, E. et al. Sarcopenia at the infrahyoid level as a prognostic factor in patients with advanced-stage non-virus-related head and neck carcinoma. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 279, 3131–3137 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-021-07147-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00405-021-07147-z

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