Abstract
Background Body composition components (Sarcopenia and intramuscular fat [IMF] deposition) were proven as risk factors predicting poor survival among HCC patients in the Japanese population. Since HCC characteristics were peculiar in Indonesia: advanced-stage at presentation; early-age onset; and HBV endemicity; our objective was to demonstrate key determinants of HCC prognosis in Indonesia. Methods Skeletal muscle index (SMI) and mean muscle attenuation (MA) were measured from transverse Computed Tomography (CT) images at the third lumbar vertebra (L3) in a prospective cohort of 49 Indonesia patients with different stages of HCC. Images were analysed using SliceOmatic V5.0 (Tomovision, QC Canada), which enables specific tissue demarcation using Hounsfield unit (HU) thresholds. Clinical, laboratory and body composition assessments are comprehensively analysed using Kaplan-Meier procedure and Cox’s regression model to investigate critical features associated with prognosis. Results Patients with low MA (called intramuscular fat [IMF] deposition) had shorter median survival than non-IMF deposition (73 11.61 vs. 252 26.56 days, p=0.008) as also observed shorter in patients with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level ≥200 ng/ml than AFP Conclusions Muscle Attenuation and BCLC stage were significant independent predictors of survival in HCC Indonesian patients. External validation of these prognostic factors in larger cohorts of HCC patients is warranted.
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