Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40459648›Full record

SynthesisLa Radiologia medica2025

The impact of sarcopenia on sarcoma patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Domenico Albano, Moreno Zanardo, Mariachiara Basile, Nicole Alessandra De Micheli, Alessandro Berenghi, Francesca Serpi, Salvatore Gitto, Carmelo Messina, Luca Maria Sconfienza

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
In one paragraph

Synthesis in La Radiologia medica, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Domenico AlbanoIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161, Milan, Italy.
Moreno ZanardoRadiology Unit, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Via Morandi 30, 20097, San Donato Milanese, Italy. moreno.zanardo@grupposandonato.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9640-8534
Mariachiara BasilePostgraduate School of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Nicole Alessandra De MicheliPostgraduate School of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Alessandro BerenghiPostgraduate School of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
Francesca SerpiIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161, Milan, Italy.
Salvatore GittoIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161, Milan, Italy.
Carmelo MessinaDipartimento di Scienze Biomediche Per la Salute, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122, Milan, Italy.
Luca Maria SconfienzaIRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, 20161, Milan, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeSarcopenia has been linked to poor outcomes in various cancers, but its specific effect on sarcoma patients remains unclear. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the impact of sarcopenia, estimated using CT, on sarcoma patients, focusing on prognostic implications and associated outcomes. MATERIALS AND

methodsThe PubMed, Embase, and SCOPUS databases were searched up to March 2025. Then, a meta-analysis of the data was performed. Overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) were the endpoints. Hazard ratios and 95% confidence intervals were assessed to evaluate the association between sarcopenia and survival of sarcoma patients.

resultsEighteen studies with a total of 1699 patients met the inclusion criteria. Liposarcoma was the most reported histotype in 67% of the studies, with extremities being the most common tumor location (50%), and chemotherapy was the primary intervention in 89% of cases, followed by radiation therapy (78%) and surgery (67%). Analyzing seven articles, a pooled HR of 1.91 (95% CI 1.09-3.34) for OS was reached, indicating that sarcopenic patients have a 91% higher risk of mortality compared to non-sarcopenic patients (p < 0.01). There is no evidence of selective publication (p = 0.137). The meta-analysis for the two studies that reported HR of RFS resulted 1.16 (95% CI 0.85-1.59), not significant (p = 0.28). The quality of the included studies demonstrated high methodological rigor.

conclusionsWorse outcomes have been observed in sarcopenic patients with sarcomas, but the impact of sarcopenia on OS and RFS still remains uncertain, highlighting the need for further research and standardized approaches. Trial Registration The protocol for this review has been registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO) database (registration unique identifying number: CRD42024578969).

Indexed as

SarcomaSarcopeniaTomography, X-Ray ComputedHumansPrognosisMeta-analysisMortalitySarcomaSarcopeniaSurvivalSystematic review

Identifiers

PMID40459648
PMCPMC12454457

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.