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Posted on Dec 19, 2008, 9 a.m.
By Rich Hurd
Body composition appears to be of key importance when it comes to surviving cancer, as researchers have found that cancer patients with more lean muscle mass live longer.
Body composition appears to be of key importance when it comes to surviving cancer, as researchers have found that cancer patients with more lean muscle mass live longer.
The study of 250 obese cancer patients revealed that patients with depleted muscle mass – a recently recognized condition known as sarcopenic obesity – lived, on average, for 10 months less than obese patients with more muscle mass. Participants with sarcopenic obesity were also more likely to be bedridden. Study leader Professor Vickie Baracos says muscle mass could even effect how patients respond to chemotherapy.
The authors concluded: “This study provides evidence of the great variability of body composition in patients with cancer and links body composition, especially sarcopenic obesity, to clinical implications such as functional status, survival, and potentially, chemotherapy toxicity.”
Prado CMM, Lieffers JR, McCargar LJ, et al. Prevalence and clinical implications of sarcopenic obesity in patients with solid tumours of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts: a population-based study. The Lancet Oncology. 2008;9:629-635.
