Body composition assessment and sarcopenia in patients with gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Introduction There has recently been increased interest in the assessment of body composition in patients with gastric cancer for the purpose of prognostication. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to evaluate the current literature on body composition assessment in patients with gastric cancer and its impact on peri-operative outcomes. Methods A systematic literature search was conducted for studies reporting assessment of body composition in patients with gastric cancers. Meta-analysis of postoperative outcomes (overall and major complications, anastomotic leaks, pulmonary complications) and survival was performed using random effects models. Results Thirty-nine studies reported the assessment of body composition in 8402 patients. Methods used to assess body composition in patients with gastric cancers were computerized tomography ( n = 26), bioelectrical impedance analysis ( n = 9), and dual-energy-X-ray-absorptiometry ( n = 3). Only 21 studies reported the impact of pre-operative sarcopenia on post-operative outcomes. Sarcopenic patients have significantly higher rates of postoperative major complications ( n = 12, OR 1.67, CI 95% 1.14–2.46, p = 0.009), and pulmonary ( n = 8, OR 4.01, CI 95% 2.23–7.21, p