1. High SARC-F score predicts poor survival of patients with cancer receiving palliative care.
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Mori, Naoharu, Maeda, Keisuke, Fukami, Yasuyuki, Matsuyama, Remi, Nonogaki, Tomoyuki, Kato, Ryoko, Ishida, Yuria, Shimizu, Akio, Ueshima, Junko, and Nagano, Ayano
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HEAD tumors , *C-reactive protein , *ACADEMIC medical centers , *ACQUISITION of data methodology , *CONFIDENCE intervals , *SARCOPENIA , *RETROSPECTIVE studies , *CANCER patients , *MEDICAL records , *SURVIVAL analysis (Biometry) , *QUESTIONNAIRES , *TUMORS , *CACHEXIA , *PALLIATIVE treatment , *PROPORTIONAL hazards models , *NECK tumors - Abstract
Purpose: A high score determined by SARC-F, a simple screening questionnaire for sarcopenia, has been reportedly associated with worse medical outcomes. However, information regarding whether high SARC-F scores are associated with a poor prognosis in patients with advanced cancer remains limited. We clarified whether a SARC-F score ≥ 4 predicts poor prognosis in patients with cancer receiving palliative care.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of patients with cancer who received palliative care at a university hospital between May 2019 and April 2020. Patient characteristics including age, sex, height, weight, cancer type, serum albumin level, C-reactive protein level, presence of edema, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status (ECOG-PS), SARC-F score, history of anticancer therapy, and clinical outcomes were collected from electronic medical records.Results: Of 304 patients, 188 had a SARC-F score < 4, and 116 patients had a SARC-F score ≥ 4. The overall survival of patients with a SARC-F score ≥ 4 was 40 days (95% CI 29-47), which was significantly worse than 121 days (95% CI 95-156) for patients with a SARC-F score < 4 (p < 0.001). SARC-F score ≥ 4 (hazard ratio: HR 1.56), edema (HR 1.94), head and neck cancer (HR 0.51), C-reactive protein (HR 1.05), ECOG-PS ≥ 3 (HR 1.47), and radiotherapy (HR 0.52) were associated with overall survival. The ability to climb stairs was a SARC-F sub-item significantly associated with mortality (HR 1.59).Conclusion: The SARC-F questionnaire is a useful predictor of prognosis for patients with cancer receiving palliative care because a SARC-F ≥ 4 score predicts worse overall survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]- Published
- 2022
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