P332 - ASSOCIATION OF LOSS OF VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE AFTER CONCURRENT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY WITH POOR SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

P332

ASSOCIATION OF LOSS OF VISCERAL ADIPOSE TISSUE AFTER CONCURRENT CHEMORADIOTHERAPY WITH POOR SURVIVAL IN PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

S. M. Lee1, S. J. Jang2, J. W. Lee1,*

1Soonchunhyang University Cheonan Hospital, Cheonan, 2CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University School of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea, Republic Of

 

Rationale: Nutritional status is known to be associated with clinical outcomes in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. This study aimed to investigate whether changes in subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral (VAT) adipose tissue mass after concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) are significantly related to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) in HNSCC patients.

Methods: We retrospectively enrolled 117 HNSCC patients who underwent definitive CCRT. Using unenhanced computed tomography (CT) images from pre-treatment (PET1) and three months post-CCRT (PET2) F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT scans, we measured the cross-sectional areas of SAT and VAT. The prognostic value of the SAT index, VAT index, and the percent changes in both indices between PET1 and PET2 for predicting survival outcomes were assessed. 

Results: Among these 117 patients, 62 (53.0%) achieved complete metabolic response (CMR) after CCRT. The CMR patient group showed significantly higher values of VAT index at PET2 compared to the non-CMR group (p<0.05). Multivariate survival analysis found that the VAT index at PET2 and the percent changes in both the SAT index and VAT index were significant predictors for both PFS and OS (p<0.05). Patients with a low VAT index at PET2 and marked losses of SAT index and VAT index after CCRT had poorer survival outcomes. On subgroup survival analysis, the percent change in VAT index was a significant predictor for PFS and OS in both CMR and non-CMR groups (p<0.05). 

Conclusion: The alteration in VAT mass after CCRT was clinically significant for risk stratification of survival outcomes in HNSCC patients. 

Disclosure of Interest: None declared