Impact of Sarcopenia on Head and Neck Cancer Treatment: A Review of Literature

The overall outcome of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients undergoing any treatment modality may significantly depend upon their general nutritional condition. Poor nutritional status leading to sarcopenia may be a negative prognostic factor in determining the outcome of HNC patients. PubMed database was searched to identify studies published between 2015 and 2022. All studies reporting the index for sarcopenia as well as its effect on HNC were included. This narrative review was conducted to specifically evaluate the impact of sarcopenia on HNC patients undergoing surgery/ free flap reconstruction/ adjuvant treatment. In oncology, computed tomography assessment of skeletal mass at C3 and L3 is the most suitable index to detect sarcopenia. From the articles yielded, the prevalence rate of sarcopenia ranges from 6 to 70% worldwide. Indian population presents with a significantly higher rate of 31.5% sarcopenia HNC patients. Sarcopenic patients have an increased propensity for surgical site infections, as high as 24.6% owing to the reduced skeletal muscle mass. These patients are also prone to have frequent breaks during radiation treatment of more than 1 week and increased chemotherapy-related toxicities. Further, sarcopenic individuals tend to have higher Ryle's tube dependency of more than 90 days. Sarcopenic patients undergoing surgery have a poor overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). In terms of hazards ratio, sarcopenic patients have 1.96 times poor OS and 2.00 times poor DFS when compared to normal individuals who undergo HNC surgery. Sarcopenia is an indispensable part of cancer ailment and it is an independent factor negatively influencing DFS and OS. Thus, nutritional strategy needs to be developed to mitigate sarcopenic effects, especially in the Indian population in preoperative setting.