(HealthDay)—The combination of low muscle mass (LMM) and low muscle density (LMD) is associated with shorter survival in patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), according to a study published online March 13 in Leukemia & Lymphoma.
Hánah N. Rier, from Albert Schweitzer Hospital in Dordrecht, Netherlands, and colleagues examined the association between LMM and LMD and survival in patients with DLBCL. A total of 164 DLBCL patients underwent computed tomography-based measurement of muscle prior to chemo-immunotherapy.
The researchers defined LMM or LMD as a Z-score less than −1, and they were linked to overall and progression-free survival. In 13 percent of DLBCL patients, the coexistence of both LMM and LMD was observed and was significantly associated with shorter overall and progression-free survival (multivariable hazard ratios, 2.42 and 2.16). Patients with LMM and LMD more often did not complete planned treatment (31.8 versus 13.6 percent) and were less likely to achieve a complete response (59.1 versus 81.7 percent).
Source: Read Full Article