Is Sarcopenic Obesity an Indicator of Poor Prognosis in Gastric Cancer Surgery? A Cohort Study in a Western Population

Background The prognostic value of sarcopenic obesity in gastric cancer surgery remains debated. We aimed to evaluate the impact on outcomes of body composition and sarcopenic obesity after gastrectomy for gastric cancer. Methods A retrospective review of prospectively maintained database of patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer from 2010 to 2017 was performed. Skeletal muscle mass and visceral adipose tissue were evaluated by preoperative computed tomography to define sarcopenia and obesity. Patients were classified in body composition groups according to the presence or absence of sarcopenia and obesity. Prognostic factors for survival were assessed by multivariate Cox analysis. Results Of the 198 patients undergoing gastrectomy for gastric cancer, 90 (45.4%) patients were sarcopenic, 130 (67.7%) obese, and in the subclassification for body composition categories: 33 (17%) nonsarcopenic nonobesity, 75 (38%) non sarcopenic obesity, 35 (17%) sarcopenic nonobesity, and 55 (28%) sarcopenic obesity. No category of body composition was a predictor of postoperative complications and worse overall and disease-free survival outcomes. Multivariable analysis identified ASA III classification, preoperative weight loss > 10%, postoperative surgical re-intervention, and advanced tumor stage as independent prognostic factors for overall survival, and patients aged 75 years or older, preoperative weight loss > 10%, elevated netrophil-lymphocyte ratio, and advanced tumor stage as independent prognostic factors for disease-free survival. Conclusions Sarcopenia, obesity, and sarcopenic obesity were not associated with worse outcomes after gastric cancer surgery.