Prognostic Value of Body Mass Index in Stage II/III Colon Cancer: Posthoc Analysis From the TOSCA Trial

Background

High body mass index (BMI) plays a key role in the development of colon cancer (CC). Our post-hoc analysis from the TOSCA trial analyzed the association between BMI and survival outcomes in terms of relapse-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) in stage II/III CC patients.

Patients and methods

Patients enrolled in the TOSCA trial between 2007-2013 with BMI data entered the study. The prognostic impact of BMI on survival outcomes was investigated through uni- and multivariable Cox regression analyses.

Results

Overall, 1455 patients with stage II/III CC patients were included. The median follow-up was of 61.5 months; 16.1% of patients relapsed, 11.2% died and 19.5% patients relapsed or died. No impact of BMI on RFS was detected at univariate or multivariable analyses. By univariate analysis for OS, a significantly impact of a BMI > 30 kg/m² was reported (HR [>30 vs <25] 1.57, 95% CI 1.00-2.47, p = 0.049; HR [>30 vs <30] 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.37, p = 0.045). Multivariable analyses did not confirm this data. In the subgroup of stage III patients, a negative survival impact of BMI was found in univariate and multivariable models both for RFS and for OS.

Conclusions

In our study, obesity with BMI > 30 kg/m² was an independent prognostic factor for RFS and OS in CC patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, regardless of its duration (3 or 6 months). However, the prognostic impact of adiposity and body composition measurement should be considered to better classify patients with high visceral fat and refine their risk assessment.