Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity are independent adverse prognostic factors in resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

Background Incidence and mortality of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are on the rise. Sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity have proven to be prognostic factors in different types of cancers. In the context of previous findings, we evaluated the impact of body composition in patients undergoing surgery in a national pancreatic center. Methods Patient's body composition (n = 133) was analyzed on diagnostic CT scans and defined as follows: Skeletal muscle index <38.5 cm(2)/m(2) (women), <52.4 cm(2)/m(2) (men); obesity was classified as BMI >25kg/m(2). Results Sarcopenia showed a negative impact on overall survival (OS; 14 vs. 20 months, p = 0.016). Sarcopenic patients suffering from obesity showed poorer OS compared to non-sarcopenic obese patients (14 vs. 23 months, p = 0.007). Both sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity were associated with sex (p<0.001 and p =0.006; males vs. females 20% vs. 38% and 12% vs. 38%, respectively); sarcopenia was further associated with neoadjuvant treatment (p = 0.025), tumor grade (p = 0.023), weight loss (p = 0.02) and nutritional depletion (albumin, p = 0.011) as well as low BMI (<25 kg/m(2), p =0.038). Sarcopenic obese patients showed higher incidence of major postoperative complications (p<0.001). In addition, sarcopenia proved as an independent prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.031) in the multivariable Cox Regression model. Conclusion Patients with sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity undergoing resection for PDAC have a significantly shorter overall survival and a higher complication rate. The assessment of body composition in these patients may provide a broader understanding of patients' individual condition and guide specific supportive strategies in patients at risk.