Prognostic and predictive implications of sarcopenia in Western patients undergoing gastric resections for carcinoma of the stomach

Introduction Sarcopenia is highly prevalent in patients with gastrointestinal malignancies, including gastric cancer, but there is a lack of adequate data from Western populations. Methods Computed tomography scans of 138 Caucasian patients subject to stomach resections due to gastric adenocarcinoma between 2012 and 2015 were reviewed to evaluate the impact of sarcopenia. The definition of sarcopenia was based on the lumbar skeletal muscle index (SMI) using cut-off values formulated by the international consensus definitions of sarcopenia (SMI <52.4 cm(2)/m(2) for men and <38.5 cm(2)/m(2) for women). Results Sixty (43%) of 138 patients were sarcopenic. Sarcopenia was associated with postoperative morbidity (43% vs 23%; P = .011), major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo >= 3a; 36% vs 21%; P = .035), and reoperations (23% vs 9%; P = .020). Patients with sarcopenia also had prolonged postoperative hospital stay (8.0 vs 6.5 days; P = .010). The overall median survival of patients with sarcopenia was significantly lower than those with normal skeletal muscles (11.0 vs 36.7 months; P = .005) and sarcopenia remained an independent prognostic factor with an odds ratio of 1.94 (95% confidence interval, 1.08 to 3.48; P = .026). Conclusion Sarcopenia, defined by SMI, is associated with an increased risk of postoperative morbidity and impaired long-term survival.