Patient selection: patient with cancer and weight loss
Parameters:
(1) body mass index (BMI)
(2) gender
(3) skeletal muscle index (by muscle area) in square cm per square meter from abdominal CT scan
(4) skeletal muscle attenuation in Hounsfield Units (HU)
(5) percent weight loss compared to 6 months prior to initial assessment at cancer center
Factors associated with better survival:
(1) BMI >= 25 kg per square meter (overweight or obese)
Factors associated with worse survival:
(1) weight loss > 8%
(2) low muscle attenuation (see below)
(3) low skeletal muscle index (indicating sarcopenia, see below)
Criteria for low muscle attenuation (for both male and female):
(1) BMI < 25 kg per square meter AND attenuation < 41 HU
(2) BMI >= 25 kg per square meter AND attenuation < 33 HU
Criteria for low skeletal muscle index (sarcopenia):
(1) female AND SMI < 41 square cm per square meter
(2) male AND BMI < 25 kg per square meter AND SMI < 43 square cm per square meter
(2) male AND BMI >= 25 kg per square meter AND SMI < 53 square cm per square meter
