Preoperative myosteatosis as a novel prognostic biomarker after anatomical lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose Myosteatosis, or excessive deposition of adipose tissue within skeletal muscle, has been widely used to explain an impaired muscle quality. This study aimed to investigate the association between preoperative myosteatosis and surgical outcomes in patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods We retrospectively examined 492 patients who underwent anatomical lung resection for stages I-III NSCLC between January 2014 and December 2022. The patients were divided into low- and high-paraspinal muscle density (MD) groups based on the lowest quartile cutoff value of MD on contrast-enhanced computed tomography, with the low-MD group defined as having myosteatosis. Results The five-year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) rates were significantly lower in the myosteatosis group than in the control group (59.1% vs. 86.8%, P < 0.001; 52.0% vs. 72.6%, P < 0.001, respectively). A multivariate analysis identified myosteatosis as an independent predictor of OS (hazard ratio [HR], 2.809; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.781-4.430; P < 0.001) and RFS (HR, 1.894; 95%CI, 1.340-2.678; P < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between myosteatosis and prolonged air leak postoperatively (P = 0.039). Conclusion Perioperative nutritional and exercise interventions facilitate changes in body composition, which may improve the outcomes in patients with lung cancer undergoing anatomical resection.