The Effectiveness of Sarcopenia Interventions for Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Min Kyeong Jang, Chang Park, Lisa Tussing-Humphreys and 3 others
PMID 34054070WHAT IT FOUND
Exercise and/or nutrition interventions did not significantly change skeletal muscle mass or lean body mass in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy.
The pooled muscle mass result was not significant.
Key findings
01Pooled skeletal muscle mass change across 196 participants was not statistically significant (mean difference 0.168, 95% CI -0.015 to 0.352, P = 0.072).
02Pooled lean body mass change across 91 participants was not significant (mean difference -0.014, 95% CI -1.291 to 1.264, P = 0.983).
03The skeletal muscle mass funnel plot was asymmetric, and the estimated heterogeneity variance had P = 0.045, which the authors reported as publication bias.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only six studies were included, with sample sizes from 30 to 200, so the pooled result rests on a small evidence base. The studies mixed different cancer types, designs, intervention types, durations, and muscle measurement methods. The skeletal muscle mass funnel plot was asymmetric, and the estimated heterogeneity variance had P = 0.045. The authors reported this as publication bias. The main muscle mass results were not statistically significant: skeletal muscle mass mean difference 0.168 with P = 0.072, and lean body mass mean difference -0.014 with P = 0.983. One included study was rated fair quality rather than good.
Declared interests
The metadata lists NIH extramural research support. No author conflict-of-interest declaration appears in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the sensitivity analysis that excluded the omega-3 study as proof that exercise or nutrition increases muscle mass. The primary pooled skeletal muscle mass result had P = 0.072, and the lean body mass result had P = 0.983. Publication bias was also suspected for the skeletal muscle mass result.