A recent study highlighted the increasing incidence of lung cancer in China, with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) being the most common type. While early-stage NSCLC has a relatively high five-year survival rate when treated surgically, most patients are diagnosed at advanced stages, where survival rates remain low. This has led researchers to focus on the role of body composition, particularly skeletal muscle and fat, in determining prognosis. Studies suggest that low skeletal muscle mass and fat loss, rather than BMI, are significant factors influencing survival in patients with lung cancer, especially in advanced stages. CT scans, particularly those assessing pectoral and paravertebral muscles, have proven effective in evaluating body composition and could serve as important indicators for patient prognosis.
The study analyzed over 400 patients with advanced NSCLC, revealing that patients with higher subcutaneous fat and better muscle density had improved overall survival rates. Those with low fat levels and muscle density showed poorer outcomes. This “obesity paradox” suggests that adipose tissue may play a protective role by providing energy reserves during cancer treatment, ultimately benefiting patients’ survival. The study calls for the use of dual vertebral-level CT measurements to assess body composition more accurately than BMI alone.
Reference: Fu L, Ding H, Mo L, et al. The association between body composition and overall survival in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Sci Rep. 2025;15(1):3109. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87073-w.
