Sarcopenia after neoadjuvent treatment for gastroesophageal cancer.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Quantifying changes in lean muscle mass in patients undergoing neoadjuvent chemotherapy for gastroesophageal cancer.
IRAS ID
260643
Contact name
Michael Silva
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 3 days
Research summary
Cancer patients suffer from rapid loss of muscle and fat in a process referred to as cachexia. The loss of muscle is associated with poorer outcomes and survival. Some treatments that target cancer, including chemotherapy, may increase muscle wasting. This may happen as a result of poor appetite as well as effects on the gut. Patients with oesophageal cancer are at particularly high risk because the cancer affects their swallowing ability. The standard of care in the United Kingdom is for patients to receive chemotherapy before surgery to remove the tumour. All patients undergoing surgery have CT scans before and after their operation. CT scans allow us to accurately measure muscle mass. We can use these scans to estimate how much muscle is lost over the course of treatment. This will allow us to test whether there is a difference in muscle loss between patients receiving either form of treatment. The results will help us to quantify the effect of the treatments we offer. This in turn will guide both patients and doctors in the decision making process.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/1871
Date of REC Opinion
28 Nov 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion