The Role of Nutrition in Modulating Myosteatosis and Sarcopenia among Surgical Cancer Patients

Abstract

Malnutrition and muscle mass loss are common clinical problems in cancer patients. Surgical procedures can also cause weight and muscle loss in patients if nutritional interventions are not initiated early on. Therefore, as with all patients, the nutritional status of surgical patients must be regularly assessed. Recent studies report that muscle quality and density are prognostic indicators, particularly in surgical patients, in terms of postoperative complications and survival. Myosteatosis, defined as intramuscular fat infiltration and associated with decreased muscle quality, occurs prior to sarcopenia, which is characterised by muscle atrophy. Therefore, detecting myosteatosis in the preoperative period is critical for both preventing sarcopenia and reducing surgery-related postoperative complications. The effect of nutrition on muscle mass and function is also well known. However, clinical data examining the relationship between myosteatosis and nutritional status and nutritional interventions are limited. The aim of this review is to examine the effects of nutritional status and nutritional interventions on myosteatosis and sarcopenia in cancer surgery patients.