Sarcopenic obesity in early breast cancer patients with metabolic syndrome: a cross-sectional study

Aim: The importance of sarcopenic obesity (SO) in malignancy has recently been recognized. The authors aimed to investigate the clinical and body composition data of early-stage breast cancer (BC) patients by focusing on the components of metabolic syndrome (MetS) and SO. Methods: In this cross-sectional study with early-stage BC patients, the clinical and laboratory results were evaluated for diagnosing MetS. Bioimpedance analysis and muscle radiation attenuation (Hounsfield unit average calculation [HUAC]) using acquired computed tomography images were used to assess SO. Results: The age at diagnosis, BMI, visceral fat ratio, hemoglobin A1c and carcinoembryonic antigen levels in patients with MetS were significantly higher (p < 0.05). A cutoff value of 39.4 Hounsfield units was significantly related to MetS with 76.5% sensitivity and 62% specificity. The mean HUAC in patients with MetS (36.9) was significantly lower than in those without MetS (41.4; p = 0.017). Conclusion: HUAC value predicted SO in early-stage BC patients with MetS.