Sarcopenia predicts prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma: A systematic review and meta-analysis

ABSTRACT Sarcopenia, a concept reflecting the loss of skeletal muscle mass, was reported to be associated with the prognosis of several tumors. However, the prognostic value of sarcopenia in patients with renal cancer remains unclear. We carried out this metaanalysis and systematic review to evaluate the prognostic value of sarcopenia in patients with renal cell carcinomas. We comprehensively searched PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library from inception to December 2018. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were pooled together. A total of 5 studies consisting of 771 patients were enrolled in this quantitative analysis, 347 (45.0%) of which had sarcopenia. Patients with sarcopenia had a worse OS compared with those without sarcopenia (HR=1.76; 95%CI, 1.35-2.31; P