High visceral-to-subcutaneous fat area ratio is an unfavorable prognostic indicator in patients with uterine sarcoma

Abstract Purpose Uterine sarcoma is a rare disease whose association with body composition parameters is poorly understood. This study explored the impact of body composition parameters on overall survival with uterine sarcoma. Materials and methods This multicenter study included 52 patients with uterine sarcomas treated at three Japanese hospitals between 2007 and 2023. A semi-automatic segmentation program based on deep learning analyzed transaxial CT images at the L3 vertebral level, calculating body composition parameters as follows: area indices (areas divided by height squared) of skeletal muscle, visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SMI, VATI, and SATI, respectively); skeletal muscle density; and the visceral-to-subcutaneous fat area ratio (VSR). The optimal cutoff values for each parameter were calculated using maximally selected rank statistics with several p value approximations. The effects of body composition parameters and clinical data on overall survival (OS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) were analyzed. Results Univariate Cox proportional hazards regression analysis revealed that advanced stage (III–IV) and high VSR were unfavorable prognostic factors for both OS and CSS. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis revealed that advanced stage (III–IV) (hazard ratios (HRs), 4.67 for OS and 4.36 for CSS, p < 0.01), and high VSR (HRs, 9.36 for OS and 8.22 for CSS, p < 0.001) were poor prognostic factors for both OS and CSS. Added values were observed when the VSR was incorporated into the OS and the CSS prediction models. Conclusion Increased VSR and tumor stage are significant predictors of poor overall survival in patients with uterine sarcoma.