P564 - CALF CIRCUMFERENCE DIFFERS IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER DEPENDING ON BODY POSITION

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P564

CALF CIRCUMFERENCE DIFFERS IN PATIENTS WITH CANCER DEPENDING ON BODY POSITION

F. Bergvall1,*, K. Jontell2, E. Lövestam2, C. Sköld3, H. Igelström1,4, E. Liljeberg1,2,4

1Geriatrics, Rehabilitation Medicine and Pain Centre, Uppsala University Hospital, 2Department of Food Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Uppsala University, 3Department of Immunology, Genetics and Pathology, Cancer Precision Medicine, Uppsala University, 4Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden

 

Rationale: Measuring calf circumference (CC) is recommended for identifying low muscle mass in populations at risk of malnutrition when technology-based methods are not feasible. However, there is no consensus on how to measure CC. The aim of this study is to investigate the differences in CC measured sitting down, standing up and a supine position, as well as the differences between left and right leg, in patients with cancer.

Methods: Preliminary data from a longitudinal study (Clinical trials ID NCT06531174) was used. CC measurements from 20 patients were measured at least four weeks apart, resulting in a total of 56 measurements. Left and right leg was combined for position analysis and separated for lateral analysis with Friedman’s test and Wilcoxon’s test respectively.

Results: Twenty patients, 10 women and 10 men, with mixed malignancies were included. They were either malnourished or at risk of becoming malnourished. Mean age 68 (range 33-82), BMI 25.5 (±3.5, range 19.9-32.7). CC measurements are presented in table 1.

Table 1. Measurements of CC (cm). 

 

Left

Right

Total

Sit (mean ± SD)

36.2 ±3.6

36.3 ±3.3

36.3 ±3.3

Stand (mean ± SD)

36.0 ±3.4

36.2 ±3.1

36.1 ±3.0

Supine (mean ± SD) 

35.9 ±3.5

36.0 ±3.1

36.0 ±3.1

Friedman’s test showed significant difference between the three positions. The post hoc test identified a significant difference between sitting and standing (p=0.015) and sitting and supine (p=0.002), but not between standing and supine (p=0.374). There was no difference between left and right leg in either position (p=0.400-0.751).

Conclusion: These preliminary data indicate that CC varies with body position, suggesting that individuals with measurements near cutoff levels may be classified differently based on the measurement position. Further studies can potentially identify the position that best aligns with technology-based tools for measuring body composition and/or skeletal muscle mass.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared