CT Derived Muscle Measures, Inflammation, and Frailty in a Cohort of Older Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background/Aim: Muscle loss, inflammation, and frailty are prevalent among older cancer patients. We aimed to evaluate whether inflammatory markers could identify muscle loss, and if muscle measures differed between frail and non-frail patients. Patients and Methods: A total of 115 patients ≥70 years old with solid tumors were included. Inflammation was measured using the Glasgow Prognostic Score (GPS), which is based on C-reactive protein (CRP) and albumin levels, and CRP alone. Frailty was evaluated using a modified geriatric assessment (mGA) of eight domains affecting older patients’ health status. Computed tomography-derived muscle measures were collected at the level of the third lumbar vertebra. Results: Patients with GPS=2 and CRP>27 mg/l exhibited poorer muscle measures compared to patients with lower levels. No associations between mGA-based frailty and muscle mass were found. Conclusion: Inflammation has detrimental effects on muscle mass. However, GPS or CRP alone cannot be used to identify muscle loss, and muscle measures were not associated with frailty in this series.