Projectdetails

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The relation between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes in an elderly gynecological-oncological population

Keywords:
postoperative complications sacopenia

Researchers:
Dr. B.C. van Munster
mw V (Vera) van der Zanden
dhr WJ (Wouter) Meijer

Type of project:
Stage Wetenschap / Research project

Nature of the research:
Retrospective cohort study

Fields of study:
gynaecology radiology geriatrics

Background / introduction
The incidence of gynecologic malignancies in the elderly is increasing. At this moment around 50% of all gynecologic malignancies are found in elderly patients.(1-3) A surgical resection is often the only curative treatment option. Especially the elderly have a higher risk for postoperative complications and physical impairment.(4-8) Older, frail patients often have sarcopenia as well. This is loss of muscle mass and -function, and is another proven risk factor for negative postoperative results.(9, 10) Previous research on sarcopenia measured on CT-scans in the gynecologic-oncologic population showed inconclusive results.(11-14) Three of these showed an association between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes or survival, one study(11) did not find an association.
In these studies, frailty was not weighted as confounding factor, furthermore it was not performed specifically in an older population. Because this is the group in which sarcopenia is the most relevant, it is good to perform a study in this specific population.

With this study we want to investigate the relation between sarcopenia (defined as low skeletal mass on level L3 measured with CT-scan)(15) and postoperative outcomes. We will do this specifically in an older population, and we will take relevant confounders into account. If screening for sarcopenia can predict postoperative results, it might be possible in the future to help determine a treatment plan and decide if it is necessary to consult a paramedic. It is a relatively easy to perform measurement in the CT-scan, that is already made on a regular base. Therefore, it is easy to use in daily practice.
Research question / problem definition
What is the relation between sarcopenia and postoperative outcomes in an elderly gynecological-oncological population?
Workplan
The study is a retrospective cohort study. The internship consists of performing measurements in CT-scans with ‘NIH ImageJ software’(15), analyzing data, and writing a scientific paper. Frailty will be measured using the Dutch VMS-criteria ‘frail elderly’(16). The internship takes place in Gelre hospitals Apeldoorn and Zutphen. It is possible to work (partially) from home.
If the project is finished successfully and the student is interested in publishing the results, he/she can participate in the publication.
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