Impact of Preoperative Skeletal Muscle Mass on the Outcomes and Recurrence After Total Gastrectomy in Patients With Gastric Cancer

Low muscle mass is a predictor of poor outcome in patients with gastric cancer after surgery. Seventy patients who underwent gastric cancer resection with curative intent were included in the study. A cross-sectional area of muscle at the third lumbar vertebra was measured and patients with skeletal muscle index below 48.6 kg/m2 were described as having low muscle mass. Surgical and oncologic outcomes were recorded. Of 70 patients, 19 (27%) were diagnosed as having low muscle mass. The postoperative recurrence was significantly higher in patients with low muscle mass (31.6 %) than in those with no low muscle mass (11.8%). Preoperative low skeletal muscle is related to poor survival and recurrence in patients with gastric cancer after total radical gastrectomy.