Association of body composition and survival in patients with locally advanced breast cancer: a historical cohort study

Abstract

Background Altered body composition has been attributed to major health problems globally, particularly in patients with cancer. To date, there have not been sufficient indices for body compositions in predicting the survival of locally advanced breast cancer (LABC). Purpose To assess the association between body composition and overall survival (OS) as well as disease-free survival (DFS) in patients with LABC. Material and Methods A retrospective study was conducted of patients with LABC diagnosed between 2010 and 2018. Body composition parameters, including skeletal muscle and adiposity parameters, were measured using computed tomography at the L3 vertebra using in-house software developed by MATLAB and freeware Python 3.6.13. The association between body composition and OS and DFS were analyzed using a log-rank test and multivariate Cox-proportional hazard regression. Results Of 199 patients, 72 (36%) died during the follow-up period (range = 3.8–150.7 months). Median survival was 101 months. Low visceral-to-subcutaneous ratio ≤0.3 (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.51−4.37; aHR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.33−4.56), and high composite fat (aHR = 3.26, 95% CI = 1.69−6.29; aHR = 2.19, 95% CI = 1.11−4.3) were associated with lower OS and DFS. Positive lymph nodes ≥3, progesterone receptor negative, and total radiation dose >5000 cGy significantly decreased both OS and DFS. A history of previous treatment before body composition assessment and surgery had a protective effect on OS and DFS. No association of sarcopenia, body mass index, and adiposity areas with survival outcomes was observed. Conclusion Low visceral-to-subcutaneous ratio and high composite fat were independent prognostic factors for OS and DFS in patients with LABC. However, other body composition parameters showed no effect on survival.