Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28712119›Full record

ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2017

Circulating Activin A predicts survival in cancer patients.

Audrey Loumaye, Marie de Barsy, Maxime Nachit, Pascale Lause, Aline van Maanen, Pierre Trefois, Damien Gruson, Jean-Paul Thissen

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 56 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
56citing papers in PubMed
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

56 citing papers in PubMed, 75 citations in OpenAlex.

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  5. The Influence of Muscle Morphology on Oncological Outcomes: A Review.Journal of frailty, sarcopenia and falls · 2025
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  7. INHBABMC cancer · 2025
    Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Audrey LoumayeEndocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Department, IREC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Marie de BarsyEndocrinology and Nutrition Department, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Maxime NachitEndocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Department, IREC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Pascale LauseEndocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Department, IREC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Aline van MaanenKing Albert II Cancer Institute, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Pierre TrefoisMedical Imaging Department, Cliniques Universitaires St-Luc, Brussels, Belgium.
Damien GrusonEndocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Department, IREC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Jean-Paul ThissenEndocrinology, Diabetology and Nutrition Department, IREC, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.
Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc · BEUCLouvain · BE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSeveral experimental evidences pinpoint the possible role of Activin A (ActA) as a driver of cancer cachexia. Supporting this hypothesis, we showed recently that human cancer cachexia is associated with high ActA levels. Moreover, ActA levels were correlated with body weight loss and skeletal muscle density, two prognostic factors in cancer patients. Our goal was therefore to investigate the value of ActA to predict survival in cancer patients.

methodsPatients with colorectal or lung cancer were prospectively enrolled at the time of diagnosis or relapse between January 2012 and March 2014. At baseline, patients had clinical, nutritional, and functional assessment. Body composition and skeletal muscle density were measured by CT scan, and plasma ActA concentrations were determined. Overall survival (OS) was analysed since inclusion to 24 months later.

resultsSurvival data were available for 149 patients out of 152. Patients with high ActA (≥408 pg/mL) had lower OS than those with low levels, regardless the type of cancer (OS in colorectal cancer, 50% vs. 79%, P < 0.05; and in lung cancer, 27% vs. 67%, P = 0.001). The multivariable analysis confirmed the prognostic value of ActA independently of tumour stage or inflammatory markers, particularly in lung cancer. Low muscularity was also an independent prognostic factor.

conclusionsOur study demonstrates that high ActA level is an independent prognosis factor of survival in cancer patients. More than a basic marker of the severity of the neoplastic disease or of the inflammatory process, ActA seems to influence survival by contributing to the development of cachexia and loss of skeletal muscle mass.

Indexed as

Biomarkers, TumorActivinsAdipose TissueAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBody CompositionCachexiaFemaleHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMiddle AgedMuscle, SkeletalNeoplasmsNeoplasm Stagingactivin AActivinsBiomarkers, TumorActivin ABiomarkerCachexiaColorectal cancerLung cancer

Identifiers

PMID28712119
PMCPMC5659049
OpenAlexW2735619199

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.