Body size is emerging as a novel and clinically-relevant patient factor in bladder cancer research. Historically, a patient's body mass index (BMI) has been used as a proxy for obesity but it shows inconsistent associations with risk of developing the disease as well as with most clinical outcomes. More specific body composition features can be derived for patients using a variety of methods. To date, skeletal muscle measurements derived from preoperative computed tomography scans have shown the most consistent associations with clinical outcomes. Importantly, skeletal muscle can potentially be modified through resistance training and/or nutritional interventions. Large scale studies that evaluate the prognostic impact of not only body composition features at baseline but also describe changes in body composition post-treatment are needed to move the field forward to ultimately improve clinical outcomes for bladder cancer patients.
Urologic oncology. 2020 Apr 18 [Epub ahead of print]
Alejandro Sanchez, Suzanne Kissel, Adriana Coletta, Jessica Scott, Helena Furberg
Division of Urology, Huntsman Cancer Institute, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT., Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT., Cancer Control and Population Sciences Program, Huntsman Cancer Institute, Salt Lake City, UT; Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation, The University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT., Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY., Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Electronic address: .