Skeletal muscle mass predicts the prognosis of patients with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Abstract

Background: We studied the prognostic impact of sarcopenia after hepatic resection for intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

Methods: Sixty-one patients who underwent surgery for ICC during 2000-2017 were analyzed retrospectively. Psoas muscle areas were measured on CT scans at the third lumbar vertebra. Areas less than the sex-specific median were deemed low skeletal muscle masses (SMMs).

Results: Low-SMM patients were significantly more often older (p = 0.002) than high-SMM patients, had lower serum albumin (p = 0.004), higher serum C-reactive protein (CRP) (p = 0.002), and higher carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (p < 0.001). Five-year overall survival rates were 72.5% and 17.6% and 5-year recurrence-free survival rates were 58.6% and 21.1%, respectively, in high- and low-SMM patients. Multivariable analysis revealed that low SMM predicted unfavorable prognoses. SMM was associated with immune nutritional status (e.g., prognostic nutritional index, Glasgow prognostic score, CRP/albumin ratio).

Conclusion: Low SMM was related to worse surgical outcomes in patients with ICC following hepatic resection.

Keywords: Hilar localization; Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; Prognosis; Prognostic nutritional index; Sarcopenia; Skeletal muscle mass.