Body size may affect cancer prognosis

Body size appears to have an impact on the prognostic outcomes in patients with cancer, reveals a study. Both hand grip strength (HGS) and subcutaneous fat affect the influence BMI has on such prognosis.

The authors carried out a principal component analysis (PCA) on the following anthropometric measurements: height, weight, BMI, HGS, triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), mid‒upper arm circumference (MAC), and calf circumference (CAC). They derived the principal components (PCs) from this analysis.

The association between the prognosis of cancer patients and the PCs was examined using Cox regression analysis. The authors also performed subgroup and sensitivity analyses.

The PCA identified four distinct PCs, which collectively explained 88.3 percent of the variance. PC1, characterized by general obesity, was inversely associated with the risk of cancer-related mortality (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 0.86, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.83‒0.88). PC2, characterized by short stature with high TSF, did not show a significant association with cancer prognosis.

PC3, defined by high BMI plus low HGS, appeared to significantly increase the risk of cancer-related death (aHR, 1.08, 95 percent CI, 1.05‒1.11), as did PC4, which was characterized by tall stature with high TSF (aHR, 1.05, 95 percent CI, 1.02‒1.07). These associations differed across cancer stages. Sensitivity analyses validated the stability of the results.

“Different body sizes are associated with distinct prognostic outcomes in patients with cancer,” the authors said. “This finding may influence the clinical care of cancer and improve the survival of cancer patients.”