Postoperative development of sarcopenia is a strong predictor of a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of the esophagogastric junction and upper gastric cancer

Am J Surg. 2019 Apr;217(4):757-763. doi: 10.1016/j.amjsurg.2018.07.003. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Abstract

Background: There were few studies assessed the postoperative sarcopenia in patients with cancers. The objective of present study was to assess whether postoperative development of sarcopenia could predict a poor prognosis in patients with adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, (AEG) and upper gastric cancer (UGC).

Methods: Patients with AEG and UGC who were judged as non-sarcopenic before surgery were reassessed the presence of postoperative development of sarcopenia 6 months after surgery. Patients were divided into the development group or non-development group, and clinicopathological factors and prognosis between these two groups were analyzed.

Results: The 5-year overall survival rates were significantly poorer in the development group than non-development group (68.0% vs. 92.6%, P = 0.0118). Multivariate analyses showed that postoperative development of sarcopenia was an independent prognostic factor for poor overall survival (P = 0.0237).

Conclusions: Postoperative development of sarcopenia was associated with a poor prognosis in patients with AEG and UGC.

Keywords: Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction; Gastric cancer; Postoperative sarcopenia.

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / surgery*
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Biomarkers, Tumor / blood
  • Esophageal Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Esophagogastric Junction / surgery*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Recurrence, Local
  • Postoperative Complications / pathology*
  • Prognosis
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Sarcopenia / pathology*
  • Stomach Neoplasms / surgery*
  • Survival Rate

Substances

  • Biomarkers, Tumor