O072 - SPHA OUTPERFORMS FFMI IN PREDICTING FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT IN CANCER PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
O072
SPHA OUTPERFORMS FFMI IN PREDICTING FUNCTIONAL IMPAIRMENT IN CANCER PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY
E. Leonardi1,*, P. C. Raoul2, M. Di Virgilio2, Z. Passone2, R. Graziano2, M. Palombaro2, E. Rinninella2,3, F. Grassi2, G. Egidi2, G. Pulcini2, A. Gasbarrini3,4, M. C. Mele2,3, M. Cintoni2,3
1Scuola di Dottorato di Ricerca in “Scienze della nutrizione, del metabolismo, dell’invecchiamento e delle patologie di genere”, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 2UOC di Nutrizione Clinica, Dipartimento di Scienze Mediche e Chirurgiche Endocrino-Metaboliche, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, 3Centro di Ricerca e Formazione in Nutrizione Umana, Università Cattolica Del Sacro Cuore, Largo F. Vito 1, 4UOC Medicina Interna, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo Agostino Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy
Rationale: Fat-Free Mass Index (FFMI) is a well-established quantitative marker for sarcopenia, yet it may not fully account for early functional decline in oncological patients. This study aims to evaluate whether the Standardized Phase Angle (SPhA) provides superior independent predictive value for functional status compared to quantitative muscle mass measurements.
Methods: This single-center, cross-sectional study enrolled 941 cancer patients. Sarcopenia was defined according to EWGSOP2 criteria (low handgrip strength and low FFMI). Muscle function was quantified using Handgrip Strength normalized by BMI (HG/BMI). Patients were stratified into two groups based on SPhA Z-score threshold: Group 1 (> -1.65) and Group 2 (< -1.65). Multivariate linear regression, adjusted for age and sex, compared the independent predictive value of SPhA and FFMI on HG/BMI across six cancer sites: Head and Neck, Rectum, Upper GI, Lungs, Pancreas and Others.
Results: In the multivariate model, SPhA emerged as a strong independent predictor of muscle function (β= 0.235, p < 0.001), whereas FFMI failed to reach statistical significance (p =0.149). Significant site-specific heterogeneity in SPhA was observed (p<0.001); the lowest cellular integrity was identified in Upper GI patients (Mean: -3.40). Furthermore, patients with a SPhA Z-score < -1.65 exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of sarcopenia (55.21%) compared to those with a Z-score > -1.65 (27.55%; p<0.001).
Conclusion: SPhA is a robust proxy for cellular integrity, predicting functional impairment more effectively than FFMI. These findings highlight SPhA as a critical marker for early risk stratification, particularly in high-metabolic-impact malignancies where qualitative cellular changes precede measurable muscle loss.
Disclosure of Interest: None declared