Skeletal muscle depletion is an independent prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Skeletal muscle depletion or sarcopenia has been identified as a poor prognostic factor for various diseases. The aim of this study is to determine whether muscle depletion is a prognostic factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods We evaluated 217 consecutive patients with primary HCC. The skeletal muscle cross-sectional area was measured by computed tomography at the third lumbar vertebra (L3), from which the total body fat-free mass (FFM) and L3 skeletal muscle index (L3 SMI) were obtained. The factors contributing to overall survival (OS) were analyzed by univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards model. Results In univariate analysis, FFM ( P = 0.0422), Child-Pugh classification ( P = 0.0058), serum albumin level ( P