PP296 - CALF CIRCUMFERENCE AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR LOW SKELETAL MUSCLE MASS IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS
PP296
CALF CIRCUMFERENCE AS A SCREENING TOOL FOR LOW SKELETAL MUSCLE MASS IN ONCOLOGY PATIENTS
D. Zecharia1,*, E. Herush1, M. Perelmuter1, Y. Elbaum-Shiff1, R. Anbar1
1Nutrition and Dietetic Department, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
Rationale: The clinical utility of Calf Circumference (CC) as a screening tool for low Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) in oncology patients remains uncertain. This study aimed to assess the diagnostic performance of CC and the added value of Body Mass Index (BMI) adjustment in this population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among oncology patients at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center. Skeletal Muscle Index (SMI) was measured using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (InBody 770), and CC was measured using a standardized tape measure and classified according to sex-specific cut-offs. Association between CC and SMI was assessed using pearson correlation and stepwise multiple linear regression. Diagnostic performance of unadjusted and BMI-adjusted CC was evaluated using sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, accuracy, and cohen’s kappa, with SMI as the reference standard.
Results: A total of 108 patients were included (40% women, median age 71 years [IQR: 62-75], mean BMI 24.5±3.9 kg/m²). CC was significantly correlated with SMI in the overall cohort (r=0.616, p<0.001), with strong associations in both men and women (r=0.829 and r=0.885 respectively, p<0.001). Among patients with BMI 25-30 kg/m², BMI-adjusted CC showed a weak, non-significant association with SMI (r=0.215, p=0.142). Unadjusted CC demonstrated higher specificity (94.6%), accuracy (87%) and substantial agreement (κ=0.684) with SMI, compared with BMI-adjusted CC.
Conclusion: CC is associated with SMI and demonstrates good diagnostic performance for identifying low SMM in oncology patients. Unadjusted CC showed higher accuracy compared with BMI-adjusted CC, and may serve as a simple and practical screening tool for low SMM, particularly in patients with normal BMI and mild overweight. Further studies, including diverse oncology populations and patients with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m²), are recommended to confirm these findings.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared