P546 - SARCOPENIA AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY: THE CASE FOR EARLY SCREENING AND SUPPORT IN DEPRIVED CANCER POPULATIONS

P546

SARCOPENIA AND SOCIAL INEQUALITY: THE CASE FOR EARLY SCREENING AND SUPPORT IN DEPRIVED CANCER POPULATIONS

D. Karpuzoglu^1,*, K. Parr¹, W. Gerrard¹, P. Campbell¹, O. Phillips², T. Donovan²

¹Nutrition and Dietetics, Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust, ²Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, United Kingdom

Rationale: Reduced body mass, particularly skeletal muscle mass (SMM), in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is associated with higher toxicity and poor treatment outcomes. In Merseyside, England’s second most deprived region, factors like poor nutrition and low physical activity heighten this risk. Routine assessment and monitoring of body composition are therefore essential to enable timely and targeted interventions.

Methods: Forty HNC patients (24 males: age 63.4±9.3 yrs, ht. 1.74±0.06 m, wt. 79.2±12.6 kg; 17 females: age 60.2±12.5 yrs, ht. 1.61±0.06 m, wt. 76.1±18.1 kg) were assessed using the Seca mBCA 515 bioelectrical impedance analyser in the week prior to, and immediately following, treatment. Sarcopenia was classified according to EWGSOP2 criteria using severe and moderate cut-off points.

Results: The average treatment duration was 42.1 ± 5.5 days for males and 40.7 ± 7.0 days for females. Total body mass decreased in all but two male patients (−4.5%; −3.7 ± 3.1 kg, CI: 2.38–5.01; p < 0.001) and in all but two female patients (−5.9%; −4.5 ± 3.7 kg, CI: 2.59–6.38; p < 0.001). SMM declined by −5.7% in males (−1.62 ± 1.56 kg, CI: 0.97–2.15; p < 0.001) and −8.7% in females (−1.57 ± 1.64 kg, CI: 0.72–2.41; p = 0.001). At baseline, 10 males and 4 females met criteria for severe sarcopenia, and 13 males and 1 female for mild sarcopenia. Post-treatment, all males were classified as either mildly or severely sarcopenic, with 3 additional males and 1 female progressing to severe sarcopenia.

Conclusion: Body mass and SMM loss align with trends seen in other HNC studies, though baseline and post-treatment sarcopenia rates are notably higher. Given the link between severe sarcopenia and poor treatment outcomes, more targeted and aggressive interventions addressing both patient risk and underlying socioeconomic factors are clearly needed.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared