Page 95 - Risk quantification and modification in older patients with colorectal cancer

Physical performance and poor surgical outcomes
muscle density and physical performance was tested, and subgroup analysis was performed in case of a significant interaction.
A p-value < .05 was considered statistically significant. All analyses were performed using SPSS version 24.0 (SPSS, Inc., Chicago, IL).
Results
Study population
Between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2016 a total of 228 patients aged 70 years and older who were operated for non-metastatic colorectal cancer and 174 (76%) met our inclusion criteria. Forty-nine patients were excluded based on the predefined criteria (acute surgery n=36, stage IV disease n=7, synchronous other cancer n=6) and five patients were excluded because the transversal CT-images were not suitable for secondary analyses. An interobserver correlation coefficient of 0.94 was reached between two observers based on analysis of 52 CT-images. Median follow-up was 954 days (2.6 years) and a total of 34 deaths were registered.
Baseline characteristics
Mean age was 78.0 years (SD 5.1), 60 patients (34%) were 80 years or older; age was equally distributed among sexes (Table 1). In 27 patients (16%) the tumour was detected as part of the national screening program, 143 (82%) had colon cancer and 31 (18%) rectal cancer. Laparoscopic surgery was performed in 114 patients (66%).
Prior to surgery, 36 patients (21%) used a mobility aid preoperatively, and nine (5%) were ADL dependent. Of the 36 patients with preoperative use of a mobility aid, six (17%) were also ADL dependent. One hundred forty-two patients (82%) had low skeletal muscle mass and 152 (87%) patients had low muscle density based on previously described definitions by Martin et al.21
The gender-specific quartiles (Qs) for skeletal muscle mass were Q1 men: < 39.84 cm2/m2, women: <32.68 cm2/m2; Q2 men: 39.84-44.83 cm2/m2, women: 32.68- 34.95; Q3 men: 44.83-48.86 cm2/m2, women: 34.95-37.61 cm2/m2; Q4 men: >48.86 cm2/m2, women: >37.61 cm2/m2. The gender-specific quartiles for skeletal muscle
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