Mixed
Skeletal muscle depletion, measured by CT imaging, is associated with significantly decreased overall and disease-specific survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma undergoing radiotherapy.
For HNSCC patients undergoing radiotherapy, maintaining skeletal muscle mass is critical for survival. Standard weight monitoring may miss dangerous muscle loss; clinicians should consider body composition assessments (like CT-derived skeletal muscle index) to identify high-risk patients who might benefit from early, aggressive nutritional or exercise interventions.
Decreased overall survival was predicted by SM depletion before RT (hazard ratio [HR], 1.92; 95% CI, 1.19-3.11; P = .007) and after RT (HR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.02-4.24; P = .04).
Why this rating
Large retrospective cohort (n=190 for imaging, n=2840 screened) with long follow-up, though observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Association of Body Composition With Survival and Locoregional Control of Radiotherapy-Treated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Aaron J. Grossberg et al. · JAMA Oncology · 2016
DOI 10.1001/jamaoncol.2015.6339
Related findings · Mixed
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