Change in abdominal obesity after colon cancer surgery – effects of left-sided and right-sided colonic resection

Abstract Background Excess abdominal visceral adipose tissue (VAT) is associated with metabolic diseases and poor survival in colon cancer (CC). We assessed the impact of different types of CC surgery on changes in abdominal fat depots. Material and Methods Computed tomography (CT)-scans performed preoperative and 3 years after CC surgery were analyzed at L3-level for VAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and total adipose tissue (TAT) areas. We assessed changes in VAT, SAT, TAT and VAT/SAT ratio after 3 years and compared the changes between right-sided and left-sided resected patients in the total population and in men and women separately. Results A total of 134 stage I-III CC patients undergoing cancer surgery were included. Left-sided colonic resected patients had a 5% (95% CI: 2% - 9%, p<0.01) increase in abdominal VAT, a 4% (95% CI: 2% - 6%, p<0.001) increase in SAT and a 5% increase (95% CI: 2% - 7%, p<0.01) in TAT after 3 years. Right-sided colonic resected patients had no change in VAT, but a 6% (95% CI: 4% - 9%, p<0.001) increase in SAT and a 4% (95% CI: 1% - 7%, p<0.01) increase in TAT after 3 years. Stratified by sex, only males undergoing left-sided colonic resection had a significantly VAT increase of 6% (95% CI: 2% - 10%, p<0.01) after 3 years. Conclusion Left-sided CC resection was associated with a significant VAT increase after 3 years.