KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to identify factors affecting alterations in skeletal muscle function from the onset of chemotherapy to the period before allo-HSCT.
- Researchers observed that the skeletal muscle decreased during chemotherapy, influenced by male sex and age.
Skeletal muscle function is a crucial prognostic indicator in patients (pts) with acute leukemia (AL), yet the impact of chemotherapy on skeletal muscle dysfunction remains unclear.
Yusuke Terao and the team aimed to examine the factors influencing changes in skeletal muscle function from the onset of chemotherapy to the period before allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study, which included 90 pts with AL who had received chemotherapy prior to transplantation to undergo allo-HSCT (men, 67.3%; median age, 53 years).
The outcome of the entire study was determined as changes in skeletal muscle function from before chemotherapy to before allo-HSCT. It was further assessed by measuring the psoas muscle index (PMI) as skeletal muscle quantity and computed tomography values (CTV) as skeletal muscle quality using a computed tomography scanner.
They examined the variations in PMI and CTV before chemotherapy and allo-HSCT, and the factors associated with changes in PMI.
Results demonstrated the mean PMI and allo-HSCT before chemotherapy were 4.6 ± 1.4 cm²/m² and 4.0 ± 1.3 cm²/m², respectively, which had significant differences (P < 0.001). However, the mean CTV before chemotherapy and allo-HSCT were 47.3 ± 4.5 HU and 47.4 ± 5.0 HU, respectively, and no significant difference was found (P = 0.798).
In stepwise multiple regression analysis, age and sex were identified as factors related to changes in PMI (age, P = 0.019; sex, P = 0.001).
Researchers concluded that skeletal muscle quantity decreased during chemotherapy in pts with AL and was influenced by male sex and older age.
The study did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39001992/
The trial was registered on September 11, 2023, with a registerationn number: 34-096(11,243).
Clinical Trial: REGISTRATION NUMBER: 34-096(11,243). Date of registration: September 11, 2023.
Terao Y, Nakayama Y, Abo M, et al. (2024). “Changes in skeletal muscle function during chemotherapy and related factors in patients with acute leukemia.” Support Care Cancer. 2024 Jul 13;32(8):512. doi: 10.1007/s00520-024-08729-3. PMID: 39001992.
