SynthesisSkeletal radiology2026
From neck to abdomen: cervical (C3) muscle quantification as a surrogate to lumbar (L3) sarcopenia assessment in head and neck cancer: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Skeletal radiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Sarcopenia in breast cancer: prognostic values and emerging therapeutic strategies.Frontiers in surgery · 2026Review
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Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSarcopenia, characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, predicts adverse outcomes in head and neck cancer but is underrecognized due to reliance on third lumbar-level (L3) CT, which is not routinely performed. The third cervical vertebra (C3) is consistently imaged in head and neck cancer, offering a potential replacement for L3 sarcopenia assessment.
methodsWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies reporting concurrent CT-derived skeletal muscle index at C3 and L3 in adult head and neck cancer patients. PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched through August 30, 2025, without language restrictions. Pooled Pearson correlation coefficients between C3 and L3 measurements were calculated using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses stratified by sex and BMI, as well as meta-regression, assessed potential modifiers.
resultsFourteen studies encompassing 2017 head and neck cancer patients met the inclusion criteria. The overall pooled correlation between C3 and L3 muscle indices was 0.79 (95% CI: 0.73 to 0.84; I
conclusionC3-derived muscle quantification demonstrates a strong correlation with L3 assessment, particularly when applying sex- and BMI-informed thresholds. Routine cervical imaging may enable accessible, radiation-sparing sarcopenia evaluation in head and neck cancer. Prospective multicenter studies are needed to standardize protocols and validate clinical utility.
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