Published in:
01-02-2020 | Computed Tomography | ASO Author Reflections
ASO Author Reflections: The Possibility of a New Prognostic Biomarker of Pericardial Fat Volumes in Resected Non-small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors:
Shuichi Shinohara, MD, Kenichi Kobayashi, MD, Makoto Nakagawa, MD, PhD
Published in:
Annals of Surgical Oncology
|
Issue 2/2020
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Excerpt
Visceral fat volume is considered an important biomarker for overall survival (OS) in cancer. For patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer, visceral fat in the abdomen is a favorable prognostic factor.
1 However, the prognostic significance of visceral fatty tissue remains controversial. Pericardial fat (PF) is visceral fat in the chest, which thoracic surgeons use to seal alveolar air leaks and wrap the bronchial stumps. The calculation of PF volume using computed tomography (CT) is well established, but the prognostic impact of PF volume on thoracic cancer is unclear.
2 Only one study has reported the relationship between cancer incidence and PF volume.
3 Furthermore, the association between PF volume and OS in resected non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has not been studied. The current study aimed to elucidate whether PF volume calculated using CT scan is associated with OS in operable NSCLC. The authors hypothesized that high PF volume is a more favorable prognostic predictor for OS than body mass index (BMI). …
