No Deterioration in Clinical Outcomes of Carbon Ion Radiotherapy for Sarcopenia Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Background/Aim: The relationship between sarcopenia and prognosis in carbon ion radiotherapy (C-ion RT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been reported, therefore we analyzed the presence or absence of sarcopenia before C-ion RT as a prognostic factor for patients with HCC. Patients and Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for patients who had undergone C-ion RT for HCC between September 2010 and December 2016. For defining the presence or absence of sarcopenia, skeletal muscles in the third lumbar vertebrae level were measured. Clinical outcomes were compared in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups. Results: Of the 68 patients who were analyzed, 22 were classified into the sarcopenia and 46 into the non-sarcopenia groups. Median follow-up of patients was 33.5 months. The three-year overall survival (OS) rates in the sarcopenia and non-sarcopenia groups were 66% and 77%, respectively (p=0.51). Conclusion: Sarcopenia was not a prognostic factor for patients with HCC treated with C-ion RT, which was effective in HCC patients with sarcopenia without worsening the OS.