The Effect of Sarcopenia on Survival in Patients with Metastatic Colon Cancer

Introduction: Sarcopenia is a common loss of muscle mass in cancer patients. Our aim in this study is to investigate the effect of sarcopenia on survival in patients with metastatic colon cancer. Material: and Methods The study was carried out retrospectively in patients diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer between January 2016 and December 2020. Sarcopenic patients were determined by total psoas area index and Hounsfield unit average calculation using computed tomography (CT) scan images obtained at the time of diagnosis. Results: A total of 70 patients with metastatic colon cancer were evaluated. Sarcopenia was detected in 18 patients (25.7%). The median age of sarcopenic patients was 72 (53-83) years. A significant correlation was found between age and sarcopenia (p=0.002). Median survival of sarcopenic patients was 11 months while non-sarcopenic patients had a median survival of 24 months. A difference was found in overall survival (OS) between the two groups (p=0.021). There was no difference in progression free survival (PFS) between sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic patients. Conclusions: In our study, a significant prognostic effect of sarcopenia on survival was found in patients with metastatic colon cancer. The survival of sarcopenic patients was poorer.