Prognostic Impact of Preoperative Osteosarcopenia for Patients with Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma After Curative Resection

Backgrounds The clinical significance of preoperative osteosarcopenia in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has not been fully studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of preoperative osteosarcopenia in predicting the survival of patients with PDAC. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 265 patients who underwent curative surgical resection for PDAC between 2012 and 2018 in two Japanese institutes. The skeletal muscle index at the L3 vertebrae and the bone mineral density at the Th11 vertebra were calculated for the evaluation of osteosarcopenia before surgery. The relationship between perioperative osteosarcopenia and clinicopathological factors and prognosis was analyzed. Results The median overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) of patients with osteosarcopenia were significantly shorter than those of patients without osteosarcopenia (OS: 23 and 48 months, respectively, P < 0.001; DFS: 13.4 and 21.2 months, respectively, P = 0.004). On multivariate analysis, osteosarcopenia was found to be an independent factor associated with OS (hazard ratio [HR] 1.98; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.40–2.80; P < 0.001) and DFS (HR 1.53; 95% CI 1.11–2.10; P = 0.009). Conclusions Preoperative osteosarcopenia may be a useful prognostic factor in patients with PDAC who undergo surgical resection. Further studies are needed to assess whether perioperative, nutritional interventions and rehabilitation contribute to improving the prognosis of these patients.