The Prevalence and Prognostic Value of Low Muscle Mass in Cancer Patients: A Review of the Literature

DOI PDF Web Site Web Site 7 Citations
  • Hánah N. Rier
    Department of Internal Medicine, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands
  • Agnes Jager
    Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Stefan Sleijfer
    Department of Medical Oncology, Erasmus MC Cancer Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
  • Andrea B. Maier
    Department of Medicine and Aged Care, Royal Melbourne Hospital, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
  • Mark-David Levin
    Department of Internal Medicine, Albert Schweitzer Hospital, Dordrecht, The Netherlands

Description

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>In several diseases, low muscle mass has been revealed as an unfavorable prognostic factor for outcome. Whether this holds true in patients with solid malignancies as well has increasingly been explored recently. However, this research field is severely hampered by a lack of consensus on how to determine muscle mass in cancer patients and on the definition of low muscle mass. Consequently, the prevalence of low muscle mass varies widely across several studies. Nevertheless, most studies show that, in patients with solid malignancies, low muscle mass is associated with a poor outcome. In the future, more research is needed to get better insight into the best method to determine muscle mass, the exact prognostic value of low muscle mass in diverse tumor types and stages, pathophysiology of low muscle mass in patients with cancer, and ways to intervene and improve muscle mass in patients. This review addresses the current literature on the importance of muscle mass in cancer patients and the methods of muscle measurement.</jats:p>

Journal

  • The Oncologist

    The Oncologist 21 (11), 1396-1409, 2016-07-13

    Oxford University Press (OUP)

Citations (7)*help

See more

Report a problem

Back to top