Masseter muscle thickness is predictive of cancer cachexia in patients with head and neck cancer.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cancer cachexia is prevalent in head and neck cancer patients. The L3 skeletal muscle index (SMI) is often used to assess sarcopenia and cachexia but is infrequently able to be measured in this population. Masseter muscle thickness (MT) may serve as an alternative predictor of cachexia.

Methods

SMI and MT were calculated from 20 trauma (CTRL) and 40 cachectic (CA-CX) and non-cachectic (CA-NCX) head and neck cancer patients. Area Under the Curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristics (AUC-ROC) analysis was performed for SMI and MT.

Results

Both SMI and MT were significantly decreased in CA-CX patients (vs. CA-NCX mean difference -19.5 cm²/m² and -2.06 mm, respectively) and significant predictors of CA-CX (AUC = 0.985 and 0.805, respe

SUBMITTER: Balanta-Melo J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11473234 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature