AUTHOR=Angerer Markus , Salomon Georg , Beyersdorff Dirk , Fisch Margit , Graefen Markus , Rosenbaum Clemens M. 

TITLE=Impact of Sarcopenia on Functional and Oncological Outcomes After Radical Prostatectomy

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Surgery

VOLUME=Volume 7 - 2020

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/surgery/articles/10.3389/fsurg.2020.620714

DOI=10.3389/fsurg.2020.620714

ISSN=2296-875X

ABSTRACT=Title: Impact of Sarcopenia on Functional and Oncological Outcomes After Radical
Prostatectomy

Introduction & Objectives: Knowledge about the significance of sarcopenia (muscle loss)
in prostate cancer (PCa) patients is limited. The aim of this study was to determine the
influence of skeletal muscle index (SMI) on early functional and pathological outcome in
patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP).

Materials & Methods: 100 randomly chosen patients who received RP between
November 2016 and April 2017 at Martini-Klinik (Hamburg, Germany) were retrospectively
assessed. SMI (skeletal muscle mass cross sectional area at L3/m2) was measured by
preoperative staging computed tomography scans at L3 level. COX-regression analysis
was applied to determine the impact of SMI on postoperative outcome. The follow up was
12 month. Continence was defined as no more than one safety pad per day.

Results: Mean age of the cohort was 63.6 years. Mean SMI was 54.06 cm2/m2 (range
40.65 - 74.58 cm2/m2). Of the patients 41.4% had pT2, 28.7% had pT3a and 29.9% had
pT3b or pT4 PCa. SMI revealed to be without significant correlation on tumor stage.
Follow-up data of 55 patients were available for early functional outcome analysis.
SMI showed to have no significant influence on erectile function in multivariable COXregression
analysis. In multivariable COX-regression analysis SMI turned out to have no
influence on continence rates 1 week after surgery.

Conclusion: The present study shows that patients undergoing RP have a wide range of
SMI. Unlike in other urologic malignancies, there was no significant impact of SMI on early
functional outcome and pathological outcome. A larger cohort is needed to confirm these
results.