Prognostic value of sarcopenia in the patients with locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Sarcopenia, characterized by loss of muscle mass index (SMI), serves as a diagnostic indicator for malnutrition and has been shown to influence cancer treatment outcomes. The objective of this study was to investigate the prognostic significance of sarcopenia on the locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (laNPC) patients.

545 patients with stage III–IVa NPC were included in this retrospective study. Sarcopenia was defined using the skeletal muscle index (SMI) determined at the C3 level based on baseline MRI. The log-rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model were used to compare overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS).

The results of the multivariate analysis revealed that sarcopenia group (HR = 2.82, 95% CI 1.96–4.06, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.24–2.15, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.91, 95% CI 1.52–2.40, P < 0.01), comorbidities (HR = 2.08, 95% CI 1.45–2.97, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3–4 (HR = 1.48, 95% CI 1.04–2.01, P = 0.03) were identified as independent risk factors that significantly impacted the OS. Additionally, sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73–3.33, P < 0.01), T4 stage (HR = 1.50, 95% CI 1.17–1.92, P < 0.01), N3 stage (HR = 1.80, 95% CI 1.46–2.22, P < 0.01), sarcopenia group (HR = 2.40, 95% CI 1.73–3.33, P < 0.01), and any adverse event grade 3–4 (HR = 1.45, 95% CI 1.04–2.01, P = 0.03) were found to have a significant impact on PFS.

Sarcopenia was identified as a prognostic factor for patients with laNPC. Furthermore, T stage, N stage, comorbidities, and any adverse event grade 3–4 were identified as independent prognostic factors for laNPC.