Malnutrition outweighs sarcopenia and adiposity as a predictor of survival in colorectal cancer patients.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients often face nutritional disturbances, including malnutrition, changes in skeletal muscle index (SMI), and adipose tissue. We hypothesized that malnutrition, sarcopenia and nutritional disorders, as low muscle strength, low SMI, and reduced adipose tissue can negatively impact survival. This study aimed to assess the impact of malnutrition, SMI, muscle strength, sarcopenia, and adipose tissue on CRC patient survival. We analyzed 2 cohorts of CRC patients in this longitudinal study. Nutritional status was assessed by Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) and those classified as B and C were considered with malnutrition. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) measured SMI and various adipose tissue fractions (visceral, subcutaneous, intramuscular, and total). Sarcopenia was defined according to the European Working Group on Sarcopenia in Older People 2 (EWGSOP2). The primary outcome was 5-year overall survival. Of 266 patients (mean age 60.7 years, 53.0% male), 11.3% had sarcopenia, 27.0% were malnourished, and 40.0% died. After adjusting for clinical variables, Cox regression analysis showed that only Malnutrition (HR: 1.96; CI: 1.35-2.84; P ≤ .001) significantly impacted survival. In CRC patients, Malnutrition outweighs sarcopenia and adiposity as a predictor of survival in colorectal cancer patients.