Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41042417›Full record

ArticleJapanese journal of radiology2026

Clinical impact of computed tomography-measured skeletal muscle status at the third cervical vertebra on definitive radiotherapy outcomes for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Yuki Kasuga, Atsuto Katano, Masanari Minamitani, Shouhei Hanaoka, Shin Fujiwara, Yuki Saito, Koji Yamamura, Kenya Kobayashi, Hideomi Yamashita, Osamu Abe and 1 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Japanese journal of radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. 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

11 authors.

Yuki KasugaDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Atsuto KatanoDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan. katanoa-rad@h.u-tokyo.ac.jp.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4393-1828
Masanari MinamitaniDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Shouhei HanaokaDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Shin FujiwaraDepartment of Radiology, International University of Health and Welfare Narita Hospital, 4-2 Kozunomori, Narita-shi, Chiba, 286-8686, Japan.
Yuki SaitoDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Koji YamamuraDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Kenya KobayashiDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Hideomi YamashitaDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Osamu AbeDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.
Wataru GonoiDepartment of Radiology, The University of Tokyo Hospital, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8655, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

background and purposeLoss of skeletal muscle mass is increasingly recognized as a poor prognostic indicator in patients with cancer, including those with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Emerging evidence suggests that the muscle area measured at the third cervical vertebra (C3) on CT serves as a practical surrogate for whole-body muscle status. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of C3-level body composition parameters in patients with HNSCC undergoing definitive radiotherapy. MATERIALS AND

methodsA total of 283 consecutive patients with HNSCC treated with definitive radiotherapy between 2013 and 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Pre-treatment CT scans were used to assess six body composition metrics at the C3 level: skeletal muscle area (SMA), mean skeletal muscle density, visceral adipose tissue area, subcutaneous adipose tissue area, visceral-to-subcutaneous fat ratio, and skeletal muscle fat infiltration index. Patients were stratified into high and low groups based on sex-specific median values. Associations between each body composition metric (high vs. low) and survival outcomes were assessed using univariate and multivariate analyses.

resultsThe cohort included 238 males and 45 females, with a median age of 67 years. Survival analysis showed a median follow-up period of 39.3 months. The 3-year overall survival (OS) rate for the entire cohort was 81.6%, and the 3-year progression free survival rate was 60.8%. In univariate analysis, only low SMA was significantly associated with poorer OS (hazard ratio: 1.841, p = 0.027). The median SMA was 35.0 cm

conclusionAmong the CT-derived body composition parameters assessed at the C3 level, low SMA was the only significant independent predictor of OS in patients with HNSCC receiving definitive radiotherapy. These findings support the clinical relevance of SMA assessment as a straightforward and robust prognostic biomarker and underscore the need for further investigation into the prognostic potential of other body composition metrics.

Indexed as

Cervical VertebraeHead and Neck NeoplasmsMuscle, SkeletalSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckTomography, X-Ray ComputedAdultAgedAged, 80 and overBody CompositionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPrognosisRetrospective StudiesTreatment OutcomeComputed tomographyHead and neck squamous cell carcinomaRadiotherapySarcopeniaSkeletal muscle areaThird cervical vertebra

Identifiers

PMID41042417
PMCPMC12860821

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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.