Sarcopenia & aging in cancer.

Abstract

Loss of skeletal muscle mass and strength is apparent as early as the 4th decade of life and progresses linearly with increasing age.1,2 The term sarcopenia, first introduced by Irwin Rosenberg, was created to describe the loss of muscle mass that accompanies aging. As Rosenberg himself commented, “there is probably no decline in structure and function more dramatic than the decline in lean body mass or muscle mass over the decades of life.”3 Over the last decades, the age-related decline of muscle mass and strength has been a focus of gerontologic research as a means for exploring the aging process and its consequences and has been recognized as a major public health issue.2,4 The development of sarcopenia has been associated with the development of functional impairment, disability, increased risk of falls and fractures, reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL) loss of independence, and increased risk of death.2,5–7 As sarcopenia is common and related to disability, it has been estimated to cost the US health system ~$18.5 billion per year.8 Although originally described as a strictly age-related phenomenon, the loss of muscle mass and strength with aging is more complex and multifaceted. The purpose of our perspective is to highlight the importance of sarcopenia in older adults with cancer and address existing challenges and future directions of the field.