Sarcopenia Is Associated with Quality of Life and Depression in Patients with Advanced Cancer.

CONCLUSION: Sarcopenia was highly prevalent among patients with newly diagnosed, incurable cancer. The associations of sarcopenia with worse QOL and depression symptoms highlight the need to address the issue of sarcopenia early in the course of illness. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: In this study, we found that sarcopenia, assessed using computed tomography scans acquired as part of routine clinical care, is highly prevalent in patients with newly diagnosed, incurable cancer. Notably, patients with sarcopenia reported worse quality of life and greater depression symptoms than those without sarcopenia. These findings highlight the importance of addressing muscle loss early in the course of illness among patients with incurable cancer. In the future, investigators should expand upon these findings to develop strategies for assessing and treating sarcopenia while striving to enhance the quality of life and mood outcomes of patients with advanced cancer. PMID: 28935775 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: The Oncologist - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Oncologist Source Type: research