Muscle Health Emerges as Key Predictor of Cancer Patient Outcomes

A new multinational study suggests that simple measures—grip strength and unintentional weight loss—may predict survival in cancer patients better than CT-based muscle markers. Pooling data from 477 patients treated in Brazil, Canada and Italy and published in the Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle, researchers found that weak handgrip roughly doubled the risk of dying during follow-up, while losing 10% or more of body weight within six months raised risk by about half. Imaging markers of low muscle mass or low muscle radiodensity did not clearly distinguish survivors from non-survivors. Participants had at least 12 months of follow-up, with median follow-up of 43 months; 39.4% died.