July 25, 2013
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High muscle density a prognostic factor in metastatic renal cell carcinoma

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High muscle density can be used as a prognostic factor in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, study results suggest.

Because targeted therapies have improved outcomes in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, there is a need for new prognostic indicators. For this reason, researchers set out to assess whether body composition parameters could help predict prognosis.

Researchers used computed tomography imaging to assess adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and skeletal muscle in 149 patients.

Overall, median OS was 21.4 months and median PFS was 5.5 months.

Skeletal muscle density was significantly associated with extended survival.

Median OS was 29 months among patients with high skeletal muscle density compared with 14 months among those with low skeletal muscle density (P=.001).

When researchers adjusted for Heng score and treatment, patients with high skeletal muscle density had longer OS (HR=1.85; P=.004) and PFS (HR=1.81; P=.002).

Further, the addition of skeletal muscle density to the Heng risk score will separate intermediate- and favorable-risk patients into three groups with the following median OS:

l8 months (95% CI, 6 months-12 months) for those with an intermediate-risk Heng score and low skeletal muscle density;

l22 months (95% CI, 14 months-27 months) for those with an intermediate-risk Heng score and high skeletal muscle density, or a favorable-risk Heng score and low skeletal muscle density; and

l35 months (95% CI, 24 months-43 months) for those with a favorable -risk Heng score and high skeletal muscle density.

“The current study enrolled only patients from clinical trials, and therefore the prognostic role of skeletal muscle density should be validated in a real-world experience,” the researchers wrote.

Disclosure: The researchers report consultant/advisory roles with, as well as honoraria, research funding and travel support from, Aveo, Bayer, GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis and Pfizer.