Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42427162›Full record

ArticleJournal of applied clinical medical physics2026

Integration of sarcopenia screening into radiotherapy planning: Validation of a time-efficient SMI measurement method using MIM software in prostate cancer.

Pauline De Bruyn, Nicolas Coquelet, Paulo Ferreira, Madeline Michel, Thomas Descamps, Robbe Van den Begin, Dirk Van Gestel, Jean-Charles Preiser

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of applied clinical medical physics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

8 authors.

Pauline De BruynDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Nicolas CoqueletDepartment of Radiology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Paulo FerreiraDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Madeline MichelDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Thomas DescampsDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Robbe Van den BeginDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.
Dirk Van GestelUniversité libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
Jean-Charles PreiserDepartment of Internal Medicine, Université libre de Bruxelles, Hôpital Universitaire de Bruxelles, Institut Jules Bordet, Brussels, Belgium.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundSarcopenia (SP) affects 43.8% of men with prostate cancer (PCa), correlating with higher all-cause mortality and reduced quality of life. Systematic SP screening could reduce treatment complications and improve prognosis. Although several validated software tools exist for CT-based skeletal muscle assessment, their implementation in routine clinical practice remains limited due to time constraints, operator dependency, and lack of integration into radiotherapy planning systems. PURPOSE: We aimed to validate a new SP screening method using MIM® software, a program commonly used in radiotherapy planning, to facilitate its implementation in daily practice.

methodsIn 41 patients with PCa, Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) was retrospectively calculated using MIM® and compared with the validated ImageJ® method. Agreement was assessed via Bland-Altman analysis, while sarcopenic status was classified using literature-based SMI thresholds. Measurement time and reproducibility were evaluated using Wilcoxon tests, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC), and Fleiss kappa coefficients (κ). Additionally, an automated MIM-workflow was developed and compared to the semi-manual MIM-method in terms of agreement and processing time.

resultsThe cohort had a median age of 71 years, with 66% overweight or obese and 22% classified as sarcopenic. The new method demonstrated high concordance with the validated method (mean SMI difference: -0.04 cm

conclusionMIM® software provides a reproducible, reliable, and time-efficient alternative for SP screening, allowing radiation-oncologists to implement this assessment immediately into routine radiotherapy planning. Although the automated MIM-workflow requires further calibration to correct for systematic SMI overestimation, it represents a promising step toward full automation and broader clinical integration of SP assessment within radiation-oncology.

Indexed as

Image Processing, Computer-AssistedMuscle, SkeletalProstatic NeoplasmsRadiotherapy Planning, Computer-AssistedSarcopeniaSoftwareAgedAged, 80 and overHumansMaleMiddle AgedOrgans at RiskPrognosisRadiotherapy DosageRadiotherapy, Intensity-ModulatedReproducibility of Resultsautomated workflowMIM‐softwaremuscle segmentationprostate cancerradiotherapysarcopenia screeningskeletal muscle index (SMI)

Identifiers

PMID42427162
PMCPMC13351315

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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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.