CT-based body composition in diffuse large B cell lymphoma patients: changes after treatment and association with survival.

PURPOSE: Primary purpose was to assess changes of bone mineral density (BMD) in diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) patients treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone R-CHOP (like) chemotherapy regimen. Secondary purposes were to assess other body composition features changes and to assess the association of pre-therapy values and their changes over time with survival. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients selected underwent R-CHOP(like) regimen for DLBCL, and underwent PET-CT before and after treatment. Main clinical data collected included body mass index, date of last follow-up, date of progression, and date of death. From the low-dose CT images, BMD was assessed at the L1 level; the other body composition values, including muscle and fat distribution, were assessed at the L3 level by using a dedicated software. Descriptive statistics were reported as median and interquartile range, or frequencies and percentages. Statistical comparisons of body composition variables between pre- and post-treatment assessments were performed using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank test. Non-normal distribution of variables was tested with the Shapiro-Wilk test. For qualitative variables, the Fisher exact test was used. Log rank test was used to compare survival between different subgroups of the study population defined by specific body composition cutoffs. The significance level was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Eighty-two patients were included. The mean follow-up was 37.5 ± 21.4 months. A significant difference was found in mean BMD before and after R-CHOP(like) treatment (p < 0.0001). The same trend was observed for mean skeletal muscle area (SMA) (p = 0.004) and mean skeletal muscle index (SMI) (p = 0.006). No significant association was demonstrated between body composition variables, PFS and OS. CONCLUSION: R-CHOP(like) treatment in DLBCL patients was associated with significant reduction of BMD, SMA and SMI.

Whole-Body Composition Features by Computed Tomography in Ovarian Cancer: Pilot Data on Survival Correlations.

BACKGROUND: The primary objective of this study was to assess the associations of computed tomography (CT)-based whole-body composition values with overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) patients. The secondary objective was the association of body composition with chemotherapy-related toxicity. METHODS: Thirty-four patients (median age 64.9 years; interquartile range 55.4-75.4) with EOC and thorax and abdomen CT scans were included. Clinical data recorded: age; weight; height; stage; chemotherapy-related toxicity; and date of last contact, progression and death. Automatic extraction of body composition values was performed by dedicated software. Sarcopenia was defined according to predefined cutoffs. Statistical analysis included univariate tests to investigate associations of sarcopenia and body composition with chemotoxicity. Association of body composition parameters and OS/PFS was evaluated by log-rank test and Cox proportional hazard model. Multivariate models were adjusted for FIGO stage and/or age at diagnosis. RESULTS: We found significant associations of skeletal muscle volume with OS (p = 0.04) and PFS (p = 0.04); intramuscular fat volume with PFS (p = 0.03); and visceral adipose tissue, epicardial and paracardial fat with PFS (p = 0.04, 0.01 and 0.02, respectively). We found no significant associations between body composition parameters and chemotherapy-related toxicity. CONCLUSIONS: In this exploratory study, we found significant associations of whole-body composition parameters with OS and PFS. These results open a window to the possibility to perform body composition profiling without approximate estimations.

Prediction of placenta accreta spectrum in patients with placenta previa using a clinical, US and MRI combined model: A retrospective study with external validation.

PURPOSE: To build and validate a predictive model of placental accreta spectrum (PAS) in patients with placenta previa (PP) combining clinical risk factors (CRF) with US and MRI signs. METHOD: Our retrospective study included patients with PP from two institutions. All patients underwent US and MRI examinations for suspicion of PAS. CRF consisting of maternal age, cesarean section number, smoking and hypertension were retrieved. US and MRI signs suggestive of PAS were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify CRF and/or US and MRI signs associated with PAS considering histology as the reference standard. A nomogram was created using significant CRF and imaging signs at multivariate analysis, and its diagnostic accuracy was measured using the area under the binomial ROC curve (AUC), and the cut-off point was determined by Youden's J statistic. RESULTS: A total of 171 patients were enrolled from two institutions. Independent predictors of PAS included in the nomogram were: 1) smoking and number of previous CS among CRF; 2) loss of the retroplacental clear space at US; 3) intraplacental dark bands, focal interruption of the myometrial border and placental bulging at MRI. A PAS-prediction nomogram was built including these parameters and an optimal cut-off of 14.5 points was identified, showing the highest sensitivity (91%) and specificity (88%) with an AUC value of 0.95 (AUC of 0.80 in the external validation cohort). CONCLUSION: A nomogram-based model combining CRF with US and MRI signs might help to predict PAS in PP patients, with MRI contributing more than US as imaging evaluation.

CT-Derived Body Composition Values and Complications After Pneumonectomy in Lung Cancer Patients: Time for a Sex-Related Analysis?

Purpose: This study aimed to assess if CT-derived body composition values and clinical characteristics are associated with the risk of postsurgical complications in men and women who underwent pneumonectomy for lung cancer. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent pneumonectomy between 2004 and 2008 were selected. The ethics committee approved this retrospective study with waiver of informed content. Main clinical data collected were sex, age, weight and height to calculate body mass index (BMI), albumin, C-reactive protein, smoking status, side, sarcopenia, presurgical treatments, reoperation, and complications within 30 days after pneumonectomy, classified as: lung complications, cardiac complications, other complications, and any complication. From an axial CT image at the level of L3, automatic segmentations were performed to calculate skeletal muscle area (SMA), skeletal muscle density, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and visceral adipose tissue. Skeletal muscle index was calculated as SMA/square height. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate the risk of any complication, both on the total population and in a by sex subgroup analysis. All tests were two tailed and considered significant at 5% level. Results: A total of 107 patients (84 men and 23 women) were included. Despite no significant differences in BMI, there were significant differences of body composition values in muscle and adipose tissue parameters between men and women, with women being significantly more sarcopenic than men (p = 0.002). Separate analyses for men and women showed that age and SMA were significantly associated with postoperative complications in men (p = 0.03 and 0.02, respectively). Conclusions: Body composition measurements extracted from routine CT may help in predicting complications after pneumonectomy, with men and women being different in quantity and distribution of muscle and fat, and men significantly more prone to postpneumonectomy complications with the increase of age and the decrease of skeletal muscle area.

Body composition as a predictor of chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients: A systematic review.

Objectives: The main objective of this systematic review was to examine the literature evaluating association of image-based body composition with chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients. A secondary objective was to evaluate the different definitions of sarcopenia across studies. Methods: This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA-DTA statement and the protocol was registered on Prospero. A comprehensive literature search of 3 electronic databases was performed by two authors. For each eligible article, information was collected concerning the clinical setting; basic study data; population characteristics; technical aspects; body composition features; chemotherapy drugs administered; association of body composition values and toxicities. The overall quality of the included studies was critically evaluated. Results: After the initial retrieval of 812 articles, the systematic review included 6 articles (5/6 studies were retrospective; one was prospective). The number of patients ranged between 69 and 239; mean/median age ranged between 55 and 65 years; the percentage of sarcopenic patients ranged between 25% and 54%. The cut-off values to define sarcopenia and the vertebral levels for evaluation of body composition were different. Five studies included chemotherapy based on carboplatin and paclitaxel, 1 included chemotherapy based on pegylated liposomal doxorubicin. Among the studies including carboplatin and paclitaxel, 3/5 demonstrated an association with toxicity, whereas 2/5 did not. Altogether, 4/6 papers demonstrated an association between the body composition values and the development of chemotherapy-related toxicities. Conclusions: There is a wide variability of results about the association of body composition and chemotherapy-related toxicity in ovarian cancer patients. Therefore further studies, possibly including a comprehensive assessment of body compartments and where the definition of body composition cut-offs is constant, are warranted to better understand this association. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42022337753, identifier (CRD42022337753).

Qualitative evaluation of MR images for assessing placenta accreta spectrum disorders in patients with placenta previa: A pilot validation study.

PURPOSE: To validate a qualitative imaging method using magnetic resonance (MR) for predicting placental accreta spectrum (PAS) in patients with placenta previa (PP). METHOD: Two MR imaging methods built in our previous experience was tested in an external comparable group of sixty-five patients with PP; these methods consisted of presence of at least one (Method 1) or two (Method 2) of the following abnormal MR imaging signs: intraplacental dark bands, focal interruption of myometrial border and abnormal placental vascularity. Three groups of radiologists with different level of expertise evaluated MR images: at least 5 years of experience in body imaging (Group 1); at least 10 (Group 2) or 20 (Group 3) years of experience in genito-urinary MR. While radiologists of Group 1 routinely evaluated MR images, those of Groups 2 and 3 used both Methods 1 and 2. RESULTS: A significant (p < 0.005) difference was found between the diagnostic accuracy values of imaging evaluation performed by Group 3 using Method 1 (63%) and Method 2 (89%); of note, the accuracy of Method 2 by Group 3 was also significantly (p < 0.005) higher compared to that of both Methods 1 (46%) and 2 (63%) by Group 2 as well as to that of the routine evaluation by Group 1 (60%). CONCLUSIONS: The qualitative identification of at least two abnormal MR signs (Method 2) represents an accurate method for predicting PAS in patients with PP particularly when this method was used by more experienced radiologists; thus, imaging expertise and methodology is required for this purpose.