Serum methylmalonic acid concentrations at breast cancer diagnosis significantly correlate with clinical frailty

This study investigates the potential of serum MMA concentrations as a biomarker for age-related clinical frailty in older patients with breast cancer. One hundred nineteen patients  ≥ 70 years old with early-stage breast cancer were included (median age 76 years). G8 screening, full geriatric assessment, clinical parameters (i.e., estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and body mass index (BMI)), and serum sample collection were collected at breast cancer diagnosi s before any therapy was administered. MMA concentrations were measured via liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. MMA concentrations significantly increased with age and eGFR (allP <  0.001) in this older population. The group with an abnormal G8 (≤ 14, 51% of patients) had significantly higher MMA levels than the group with normal G8 (>  14, 49%): 260 nmol/L vs. 188 nmol/L, respectively (P = 0.0004), even after correcting for age and eGFR (P = 0.001). Furthermore, in the detailed assessment, MMA concentrations correlated most with mobility (Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) Performance Status and Activities of Daily Living (ADL) tools, allP ≤ 0.02), comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) tool,P = 0.005), and polypharmacy (P <  0.001), whereas no significant associations were noted for instrumental ADL (IADL), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS15), Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-S...
Source: AGE - Category: Geriatrics Source Type: research