Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38925534›Full record

ArticleJournal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle2024

Sarcopenia is independently associated with poor preoperative physical fitness in patients undergoing colorectal cancer surgery.

Jason Rai, Edward T Pring, Katrina Knight, Henry Tilney, Judy Gudgeon, Mark Gudgeon, Fiona Taylor, Laura E Gould, Joel Wong, Stefano Andreani and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia and muscle, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Multimodal prehabilitation in digestive oncology: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Article
  4. Physical fitness and body composition assessments in advanced cancer patients undergoing exenterative surgery - A pilot cohort study.Colorectal disease : the official journal of the Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
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

16 authors.

Jason RaiBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7527-9657
Edward T PringBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Katrina KnightDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
Henry TilneyDepartment of Surgery and Cancer, Imperial College London, London, UK.
Judy GudgeonFrimley Park Hospital, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley, UK.
Mark GudgeonFrimley Park Hospital, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley, UK.
Fiona TaylorWhipps Cross University Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
Laura E GouldBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Joel WongWhipps Cross University Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
Stefano AndreaniWhipps Cross University Hospital, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK.
Dinh V C MaiBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Ioanna DramiBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Phillip LungBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Thanos AthanasiouBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.
Campbell RoxburghDepartment of Surgery, School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
John T JenkinsBiCyCLE Research Group, St Mark's the National Bowel Hospital, London, UK.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAccurate preoperative risk assessment for major colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery remains challenging. Body composition (BC) and cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) can be used to evaluate risk. The relationship between BC and CPET in patients undergoing curative CRC surgery is unclear.

methodsConsecutive patients undergoing CPET prior to CRC surgery between 2010 and 2020 were identified between two different UK hospitals. Body composition phenotypes such as sarcopenia, myosteatosis, and visceral obesity were defined using widely accepted thresholds using preoperative single axial slice CT image at L3 vertebrae. Relationships between clinicopathological, BC, and CPET variables were investigated using linear regression analysis.

resultsTwo hundred eighteen patients with stage I-III CRC were included. The prevalence of sarcopenia, myosteatosis, and visceral obesity was 62%, 33%, and 64%, respectively. The median oxygen uptake at anaerobic threshold (VO2 at AT) was 12.2 mL/kg/min (IQR 10.6-14.2), and oxygen uptake at peak exercise (VO2 peak) was 18.8 mL/kg/min (IQR 15.4-23). On univariate linear regression analysis, male sex (P < 0.001) was positively associated with VO2 at AT. While ASA grade (P < 0.001) and BMI (P = 0.007) were negatively associated with VO2 at AT, on multivariate linear regression analysis, these variables remained significant (P < 0.05). On univariate linear regression analysis, male sex (P < 0.001) was positively associated with VO2 peak, whereas age (P < 0.001), ASA grade (P < 0.001), BMI (P = 0.003), sarcopenia (P = 0.015), and myosteatosis (P < 0.001) were negatively associated with VO2 peak. On multivariate linear regression analysis age (P < 0.001), ASA grade (P < 0.001), BMI (P < 0.001), and sarcopenia (P = 0.006) were independently and negatively associated with VO2 peak.

conclusionsThe novel finding that sarcopenia is independently associated with reduced VO2 peak performance in CPET supports the supposition that reduced muscle mass relates to poor physical function in CRC patients. Further work should be undertaken to assess whether sarcopenia diagnosed on CT can act as suitable surrogate for CPET to further enhance personalized risk stratification.

Indexed as

Colorectal NeoplasmsPhysical FitnessSarcopeniaAgedBody CompositionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedBody compositionCardiopulmonary exercise testingColorectal cancer surgeryMyosteatosisSarcopeniaVisceral obesity

Identifiers

PMID38925534
PMCPMC11446697

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Registered trials

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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.