Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41655456›Full record

ArticleThe journal of nutrition, health & aging2026

Sarcopenia and recurrence risk in high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a nonlinear modeling approach.

Gerald Klinglmair, Maximilian Lutz, Tatia Telia, Nils C H van Creij, Hamed Wafa, Piotr Tymoszuk, Beatrice Heim, Dora Niedersuess-Beke, Angelika Terbuch, José Daniel Subiela and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The journal of nutrition, health & aging, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Gerald KlinglmairDepartment of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Maximilian LutzDepartment of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Tatia TeliaDepartment of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Nils C H van CreijDivision of Experimental Urology, Department of Urology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Hamed WafaDepartment of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Piotr TymoszukData Analysis Service Tirol, Wörgl, Austria.
Beatrice HeimDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Dora Niedersuess-BekeDepartment of Internal Medicine I., Centre for Oncology and Haematology, Vienna Healthcare Group, Ottakring, Vienna, Austria.
Angelika TerbuchDivision of Clinical Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University Graz, Graz, Austria.
José Daniel SubielaDepartment of Urology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Madrid, Spain Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigación Sanitaria (IRYCIS), University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain.
Francesco Del GiudiceDepartment of Maternal Infant and Urologic Sciences, Policlinico Umberto I Hospital, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Rome, Italy.
Roman MayrDepartment of Urology, University of Augsburg, Augsburg, Germany.
Anna LugerDepartment of Radiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Renate PichlerDepartment of Urology, Comprehensive Cancer Center Innsbruck, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria. Electronic address: Renate.Pichler@i-med.ac.at.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSarcopenia and altered body composition are established prognostic markers in several malignancies, but their relevance in non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) remains unclear. This study evaluated associations between body composition indices-body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle index (SMI), and psoas muscle index (PMI)-and recurrence risk in high-risk NMIBC patients treated with intravesical Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG).

methodsBody composition was assessed on computed tomography at primary diagnosis. Sarcopenia was defined using published sex-specific cut-offs. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was analyzed using Kaplan-Meier estimates, Cox regression with linear and spline terms, and a gradient boosted machine (GBM) model.

resultsA total of 118 patients (median age 71 years; 78% male) were included. Tumor stages were pTa (40%), pT1 (54%), and primary carcinoma in situ (CIS) in 6%. During a mean follow-up of 32 months, 30 patients (25.4%) developed recurrence. Median BMI was 26 kg/m². SMI and PMI were higher in men and declined with age, whereas BMI remained stable. Sarcopenia prevalence varied widely across definitions (6-66%) with low-to-moderate concordance (Cohen's κ: 0-0.58). No sarcopenia definition independently predicted recurrence. In the GBM model, BCG maintenance, tumor stage, CIS, age, BMI, SMI, and PMI were important predictors. Spline Cox models demonstrated nonlinear U-shaped associations between BMI, SMI, PMI, and recurrence risk, with increased risk at both low and high values.

conclusionsBody composition shows nonlinear associations with recurrence in high-risk NMIBC. Both low and excessive body and muscle mass may adversely affect disease control. The heterogeneity and limited prognostic value of current sarcopenia definitions highlight the need for standardized, multiparametric, and nonlinear risk modeling approaches.

Indexed as

Neoplasm Recurrence, LocalSarcopeniaUrinary Bladder NeoplasmsAgedAged, 80 and overBCG VaccineBody CompositionBody Mass IndexDisease-Free SurvivalFemaleHumansKaplan-Meier EstimateMaleMiddle AgedMuscle, SkeletalNonlinear DynamicsBCG VaccineBCGBladder cancerBMIPMIRecurrenceSarcopeniaSMI

Identifiers

PMID41655456
PMCPMC12907225

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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.