scholarly journals Hypoalbuminemia Reflects Nutritional Risk, Body Composition and Systemic Inflammation and Is Independently Associated with Survival in Patients with Colorectal Cancer

Cancers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1986 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arwa S. Almasaudi ◽  
Ross D. Dolan ◽  
Christine A. Edwards ◽  
Donald C. McMillan

It has long been recognized that albumin has prognostic value in patients with cancer. However, although the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition GLIM criteria (based on five diagnostic criteria, three phenotypic criteria and two etiologic criteria) recognize inflammation as an important etiologic factor in malnutrition, there are limited data regarding the association between albumin, nutritional risk, body composition and systemic inflammation, and whether albumin is associated with mortality independent of these parameters. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between albumin, nutritional risk, body composition, systemic inflammation, and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). A retrospective cohort study (n = 795) was carried out in which patients were divided into normal and hypoalbuminaemic groups (albumin  < 35 g/L) in the presence and absence of a systemic inflammatory response C-reactive protein (CRP > 10 and <10 mg/L, respectively). Post-operative complications, severity of complications and mortality were considered as outcome measures. Categorical variables were analyzed using Chi-square test χ2 or linear-by-linear association. Survival data were analyzed using univariate and multivariate Cox regression. In the presence of a systemic inflammatory response, hypoalbuminemia was directly associated with Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool MUST (p < 0.001) and inversely associated with Body Mass Index BMI (p < 0.001), subcutaneous adiposity (p < 0.01), visceral obesity (p < 0.01), skeletal muscle index (p < 0.001) and skeletal muscle density (p < 0.001). There was no significant association between hypoalbuminemia and either the presence of complications or their severity. In the absence of a systemic inflammatory response (n = 589), hypoalbuminemia was directly associated with MUST (p < 0.05) and inversely associated with BMI (p < 0.01), subcutaneous adiposity (p < 0.05), visceral adiposity (p < 0.05), skeletal muscle index (p < 0.01) and skeletal muscle density (p < 0.001). Hypoalbuminemia was, independently of inflammatory markers, associated with poorer cancer-specific and overall survival (both p < 0.001). The results suggest that hypoalbuminemia in patients with CRC reflects both increased nutritional risk and greater systemic inflammatory response and was independently associated with poorer survival in patients with CRC.

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 407-407
Author(s):  
Euan Douglas ◽  
Colin H. Richards ◽  
Campbell S. D. Roxburgh ◽  
Paul G. Horgan ◽  
Donald C. Mcmillan

407 Background: Weight loss in cancer is increasingly recognised as part of syndrome associated with chronic activation of the systemic inflammatory response (McMillan DC, 2009). The aim of the present study was to examine the relationship between systemic inflammation based prognostic scores (SIBPS) and CT measured parameters of body composition in patients with primary operable colorectal cancer (CRC). Methods: 303 patients with primary operable CRC who underwent resection with curative intent (2003-2012) were studied. Image analysis of CT scans was used to measure total fat index (cm2/m2), subcutaneous fat index (cm2/m2), visceral fat index (cm2/m2) and skeletal muscle index (cm2/m2). SIBPS included the Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), Neutrophil: Lymphocyte ratio (NLR), Platelet: Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR), Prognostic Index (PI), and Prognostic Nutritional Index (PNI). Results: In all patients there was a significant association between lower BMI and skeletal muscle index and an elevated systemic inflammatory response, as measured by the mGPS (p=0.028 and p<0.001), NLR (p=0.004 and p=0.002), and PNI (p=0.001 and p=0.022). In male patients there was a significant association between lower BMI, total fat mass and skeletal muscle index and an elevated systemic inflammatory response, as measured by the mGPS (p= 0.027, p=0.048 and p=0.001), NLR (p=0.002, p=0.034 and p=0.003), and PNI (p=0.003, p<0.001 and p0.048). In female patients total body fat was associated with the PLR (p=0.001) and PNI (p=0.009) but only the mGPS (p=0.007) and the PI (p=0.013) were associated with reduced skeletal muscle. Conclusions: The present study highlights a consistent association between lower BMI and skeletal muscle mass and the presence of a systemic inflammatory response. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that chronic activation of the systemic inflammatory response results in the loss of lean tissue and that ultimately compromises survival in patients with CRC. McMillan DC. Systemic inflammation, nutritional status and survival in patients with cancer. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care. 2009;12:223-6.


Cancers ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (9) ◽  
pp. 1304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abbass ◽  
Dolan ◽  
Laird ◽  
McMillan

Background and aim: Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally. Nutritional status (cachexia) and systemic inflammation play a significant role in predicting cancer outcome. The aim of the present review was to examine the relationship between imaging-based body composition and systemic inflammation in patients with cancer. Methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar were searched up to 31 March 2019 for published articles using MESH terms cancer, body composition, systemic inflammation, Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound sonography (USS) and computed tomography (CT). Studies performed in adult patients with cancer describing the relationship between imaging-based body composition and measures of the systemic inflammatory response were included in this review. Results: The literature search retrieved 807 studies and 23 met the final eligibility criteria and consisted of prospective and retrospective cohort studies comprising 11,474 patients. CT was the most common imaging modality used (20 studies) and primary operable (16 studies) and colorectal cancer (10 studies) were the most commonly studied cancers. Low skeletal muscle index (SMI) and systemic inflammation were consistently associated; both had a prognostic value and this relationship between low SMI and systemic inflammation was confirmed in four longitudinal studies. There was also evidence that skeletal muscle density (SMD) and systemic inflammation were associated (9 studies). Discussion: The majority of studies examining the relationship between CT based body composition and systemic inflammation were in primary operable diseases and in patients with colorectal cancer. These studies showed that there was a consistent association between low skeletal muscle mass and the presence of a systemic inflammatory response. These findings have important implications for the definition of cancer cachexia and its treatment.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross D. Dolan ◽  
John D. Maclay ◽  
Tanvir Abbass ◽  
David Colville ◽  
Fatema Buali ◽  
...  

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the relationship between PET-CT derived tumour glucose uptake as measured by maximum standard glucose uptake (SUVmax) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG), nutritional risk as measured by the malnutrition universal screening tool (MUST), CT derived body composition as measured by skeletal muscle index (SMI) and skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD), the systemic inflammatory response as measured by the modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS) and the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and survival in patients with lung cancer, treated with radiotherapy. In a retrospective cohort study, 119 patients were included in final analyses. The majority of patients were over 65 (86%), female (52%), had a performance status (ECOG-PS) of 0 or 1 (57%), were at nutritional risk (57%), were overweight (53%), had visceral obesity (62%), had a normal SMI (51%), had a low SMD (62%) and were systemically inflammed (mGPS 1/2, 51%). An elevated TLG was associated with sex (p < 0.05), TNM stage (p < 0.001), MUST (p < 0.01) and mGPS (p < 0.01). An elevated mGPS was associated with age (p < 0.05), NLR (p < 0.01), MUST (p < 0.01), and TLG (p < 0.01). On univariate survival analysis, TNM stage (p < 0.01), mGPS (p < 0.05), NLR (p < 0.01), MUST (p ≤ 0.001), Low SMD (p < 0.05), SUVmax (p ≤ 0.001) and TLG (p < 0.001) were associated with overall survival. On multivariate survival analysis MUST (HR: 1.49 95%CI 1.12–01.98 p < 0.01) and TLG (HR: 2.02 95%CI 1.34–3.04 p = 0.001) remained independently associated with survival. In conclusion, elevated tumour metabolic activity was associated with more advanced stage, greater nutritional risk, the systemic inflammatory response and poorer survival but not body composition analysis in patients with lung cancer. These results suggest that detrimental body composition is not directly determined by tumour metabolic activity but rather an ongoing systemic inflammatory response.


2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ross D. Dolan ◽  
Tanvir Abbass ◽  
Wei M. J. Sim ◽  
Arwa S. Almasaudi ◽  
Ly B. Dieu ◽  
...  

There is evidence for the direct association between body composition, the magnitude of the systemic inflammatory response, and outcomes in patients with colorectal cancer. Patients with a primary operable disease with and without follow-up CT scans were examined in this study. CT scans were used to define the presence and changes in subcutaneous fat, visceral fat, skeletal muscle mass, and skeletal muscle density (SMD). In total, 804 patients had follow-up scans and 83 patients did not. Furthermore, 783 (97%) patients with follow-up scans and 60 (72%) patients without follow-up scans were alive at 1 year. Patients with follow-up scans were younger (p &lt; 0.001), had a lower American Society of Anaesthesiology Grade (p &lt; 0.01), underwent a laparoscopic surgery (p &lt; 0.05), had a higher BMI (p &lt; 0.05), a higher skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p &lt; 0.01), a higher SMD (p &lt; 0.01), and a better 1-year survival (p &lt; 0.001). Overall only 20% of the patients showed changes in their SMI (n = 161) and an even lower percentage of patients showed relative changes of 10% (n = 82) or more. In conclusion, over the period of ~12 months, a low–skeletal muscle mass was associated with a systemic inflammatory response and was largely maintained following surgical resection.


2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 633-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Grant Richard Williams ◽  
Allison Mary Deal ◽  
Shlomit S. Shachar ◽  
Christine Marie Walko ◽  
Jai Narendra Patel ◽  
...  

633 Background: Great heterogeneity exists in the ability of adults with cancer to tolerate treatment. Variability in body composition may affect rates of metabolism of cytotoxic agents and contribute to the variable chemotherapy toxicity observed. The goal of this study was to explore the impact of body composition, in particular sarcopenia, on the pharmacokinetics of 5-fluorouracil (5FU) in a cohort of patients receiving FOLFOX +/- bevacizumab for colorectal cancer. Methods: We performed a secondary analysis of a completed multicenter trial that investigated pharmacokinetic-guided 5FU in patients receiving mFOLFOX6 +/- bevacizumab [Patel et al. The Oncologist 2014]. Computed Tomography (CT) images that were performed as part of routine care were used to for body composition analysis. Skeletal muscle area (SMA) and density (SMD) were analyzed from CT scan L3 lumbar segments using radiological software. SMA and height (m2) were used to calculate skeletal muscle index (SMI = SMA/m2). Skeletal Muscle Gauge (SMG) was created by multiplying SMI x SMD. Differences were compared using two group t-tests and fisher’s exact tests. Results: Of the 70 patients from the original study, 25 had available CT imaging. The mean age was 59, 52% female, 80% Caucasian, and 92% with either stage III or IV disease. Eleven patients (44%) had grade 3/4 toxicity, and 12 patients were identified as sarcopenic (48%) [per Martin et al. JCO 2013]. Sarcopenic patients had numerically higher first cycle 5FU AUCs compared to non-sarcopenic patients (19.3 vs. 17.3 AUC, p= 0.43) and higher grade 3/4 toxicities (50 vs 38.5%, p= 0.70). Patients with low SMG ( < 1475 AU) had higher grade 3/4 toxicities (62 vs 25%, p= 0.11) and higher hematologic toxicities (46 v 8%, p= 0.07). Conclusions: CRC patients with sarcopenia had numerically higher first cycle AUCs of 5FU and a higher incidence of severe toxicities; however, this was not statistically significant, possibly due to limited sample size. SMG, an integrated muscle measure, was more highly correlated with toxicity outcomes than either SMI or SMD alone. Further research exploring the role of body composition in pharmacokinetics is needed with a focus on alternative dosing strategies in sarcopenic patients.


2019 ◽  
Vol 37 (7_suppl) ◽  
pp. 525-525
Author(s):  
Karan Kumar Arora ◽  
Caroline Kato ◽  
Kunnal Batra ◽  
Michael Russell Mullane ◽  
Thomas E. Lad ◽  
...  

525 Background: Exposure to cytotoxic chemotherapy (CC) has been observed to be associated with significant changes in body composition, namely marked lean muscle mass losses, with implications for treatment-related toxicity and oncologic outcomes. However, prior studies predominately include elderly patients who, a priori, are at risk for sarcopenia or severe skeletal muscle deficiency. To date, the impact of CC on body composition in young men with testicular cancer remains undefined. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 19 patients with metastatic testicular cancer treated with CC was performed (2015-17). Lumbar skeletal muscle index (SMI), visceral (VAI), subcutaneous (SCAI), and intramuscular adipose (IMAI) indices (cm2/m2), as well as fat-free mass (FFM, kg) and fat mass (FM, kg) were calculated using cross-sectional soft tissue area measurements on pre- and post-CC computed tomography (CT) axial scans and compared using paired Wilcoxon Signed Rank Tests. Results: Median age was 29 years. According to the NHANES FMI-based classification, 5 (26.3%), 9 (47.4%), 4 (21.1%), and 1 (5.3%) patients had normal, excess, class I, and class II obesity, respectively. Median pre- and post-CC BMI was 27.7 vs. 29.6 kg/m2(p = 0.03). Median pre- and post-CC SMI, VAI, SAI, and IAI were 63.5 vs 57.8 (p = 0.14), 19.9 vs 30.8 (p = 0.01), 47.9 vs 58.2 (p = 0.03), and 3.0 vs 5.2 (p = 0.002), respectively. Median muscle density pre- and post-CC were 47.0 vs 43.6 HU (p = 0.002). Pre- and post-chemotherapy FFM were 21.5 vs 19.5 kg, representing an overall median loss of 2.8%, (IQR -10.1, +4.7; Range -49.5 - +16.3; p = 0.14). Conversely, pre- and post-CC FM were 6.6 vs 7.5 kg, representing an overall median gain of 13.3% (IQR -3.3, +17.0; -24.9 - +50; p = 0.01). Median time between imaging assessments was 121 days. Specific median measures of adiposity each increased significantly, such that VIA increased by 29% (p = 0.01), SCAI increased by 39.7% (p = 0.03), and IMIA increased by 39.7% (p = 0.002). Conclusions: While lean muscularity remained stable, we observed significant increases in total body adipose mass with decreased muscle density in this consecutive case series of testicular cancer patients following CC.


2020 ◽  
Vol 38 (4_suppl) ◽  
pp. 130-130
Author(s):  
Tanvir Abbass ◽  
Ross Dolan ◽  
Stephen Thomas McSorley ◽  
Paul G. Horgan ◽  
Donald C. McMillan

130 Background: There is now good evidence that sarcopenia and myosteatosis, measured as low skeletal muscle index (SMI) and low skeletal muscle density (SMD) from CT scans, are associated with poor survival in patients undergoing surgery for CRC. However, this is not clear whether this is as a result of tumour burden or chronic inflammation. Methods: The relationship between tumour stage, systemic inflammatory response using modified Glasgow prognostic score (mGPS), neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and sarcopenia and myosteatosis using defined SMI/SMD was examined in 840 patients undergoing CRC resection from a prospectively maintained database. Results: The majority of patients were > 65 years of age (64.5%), male (55%) and did not have sarcopenia (51%) but had myosteatosis (65%). In those patients with a mGPS = 0 (n = 617), mGPS = 1 (n = 99), mGPS = 2 (n = 124), TNM stage of 0-I, II and III was not associated with sarcopenia (p = 0.260, p = 0.869 and p = 0.458 respectively) or myosteatosis (p = 0.136, p = 0.879 and p = 0.06 respectively). In those patients with TNM stage of 0-I (n = 202), stage II (n = 346) and stage III (n = 292), mGPS (0,1,2) was significantly associated with sarcopenia (p = 0.329, p = 0.001 and p = 0.002 respectively) and myosteatosis (p = 0.329, p < 0.001 and p = 0.001 respectively). In patients with TNM stage of 0-I, stage II and stage III, NLR was significantly associated with sarcopenia (p = 0.492, p = 0.299 and 0.027 respectively) and myosteatosis (p = 0.870, p = 0.012 and p = 0.019 respectively). Conclusions: Compared with tumour burden, the systemic inflammatory response (particularly mGPS) appears to have a greater influence on the development of sarcopenia and myosteatosis. These results have implications for the treatment of sarcopenia and myosteatosis in patients undergoing surgery for CRC.


Author(s):  
H. van Baar ◽  
M. J. L. Bours ◽  
S. Beijer ◽  
M. van Zutphen ◽  
F. J. B. van Duijnhoven ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Persistent fatigue among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients might be associated with unfavorable body composition, but data are sparse and inconsistent. We studied how skeletal muscle index (SMI), skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) at diagnosis are associated with fatigue up to 24 months post-diagnosis in stage I–III CRC patients. Methods SMI, SMR, VAT, and SAT were assessed among 646 CRC patients using pre-treatment computed tomography images. Fatigue at diagnosis, at 6, and 24 months post-diagnosis was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire. The association of SMI, SMR, VAT, and SAT with fatigue (yes/no) was assessed using confounder-adjusted restricted cubic spline analyses. Results Prevalence of fatigue at diagnosis was 18%, at 6 months 25%, and at 24 months 12%. At diagnosis, a significant (p = 0.01) non-linear association of higher levels of SAT with higher prevalence of fatigue was observed. Lower levels of SMR were linearly associated with higher prevalence of fatigue at 6 months post-diagnosis (overall association p = 0.02). None of the body composition parameters were significantly associated with fatigue at 24 months. Conclusion Having more SAT was associated with more fatigue at diagnosis, while low levels of SMR were associated with more fatigue at 6 months post-diagnosis. Implications for Cancer Survivors Our results suggest that it may be interesting to investigate whether interventions that aim to increase SMR around the time of diagnosis may help to lower fatigue. However, more knowledge is needed to understand the mechanisms behind the association of SMR with fatigue.


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