Progressive muscle loss is an independent predictor for survival in locally advanced oral cavity cancer: A longitudinal study

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy, with approximately 354,864 new cases and 177,384 deaths worldwide in 2018 [1]. Patients with advanced-stage OSCC often develop severe mouth pain or difficulty swallowing or chewing that can hamper dietary intake; hence, these patients may appear to be malnourished or have cachexia at the time of presentation [2 –5]. Moreover, severe loss of skeletal muscle (i.e., sarcopenia) is a crucial component of cancer cachexia and can affect treatment-related toxicities and survival outcomes [6–17].
Source: Radiotherapy and Oncology - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research