Can TMT predict overall survival in patients with brain metastases from different primary malignancies as an indicator of sarcopenia? Is TMT a predictor of OS in metastatic brain disease?

Abstract

Aim: The present study aimed to examine the accuracy of temporal muscle thickness (TMT) in predicting overall survival (OS) of brain metastases from different primary malignancies utilizing a publicly available database. Material and Method: A total of 75 patients with metastatic brain tumors with different primary malignancies, whose data were obtained from open data sets, were included in the study. TMT was analyzed on axial thin section postcontrast T1-weighted images. Median TMT MMT was employed to establish the cut-off point. Results: Evaluation of the median TMT measure (7.47 mm) served as the basis for establishing a survival threshold. Median overall survival was higher in the group with greater muscle thickness for TMT value (TMT<7.47 mm: 608 days TMT>7.47: 919 days). According to these results, there was no significant difference between the groups. Cox regression analysis indicated that TMT values less than median muscle thickness were negatively associated with overall survival (TMT<7.47: HR 1.63 CI 1.01-2.64, p = 0.044). Discussion: We suggest that TMT is a promising marker for predicting the survival in patients with metastatic brain tumors with different primaries.