SP4.10 - Comparison of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) Phenotypic Criteria in Patients with Oesophagogastric Cancer Free

The Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) consensus proposed that patients should meet one of three phenotypic criteria for a diagnosis of malnutrition. This study examined the association between these criteria and survival in oesophagogastric cancer.

Consecutive patients newly diagnosed with oesophagogastric cancer were identified from a prospectively maintained regional database between 2019-2020. Data were collected regarding the GLIM phenotypical criteria: involuntary weight loss (≥5% in 6 months or ≥10% in >6 months), body mass index (<20kg/m² (<70 years) or <22kg/m² (>70 years)) and reduced muscle mass via body composition analysis. Cross-sectional area of skeletal muscle was measured at mid-L3 on staging CT imaging. This was normalised for height to create skeletal muscle index (SMI), with low SMI being defined as per Martin et al. The outcome of interest was overall survival.

Overall, 465 patients (median 71 years, n=311 males) were identified. Weight loss (p=0.022), BMI (p<0.001) and SMI (p=0.005) cut-offs were all associated with reduced ECOG performance status. BMI and SMI were also associated with increased age. A higher proportion of patients with advanced stage malignancy met the weight loss threshold (p=0.001). Each phenotypical criterion was associated with worsened overall survival (all p<0.001). While all three were prognostic, following adjustment for confounders, low SMI (aHR:1.76 (95%CI:1.39-2.22)) was more strongly associated with poor survival than low BMI (aHR:1.57 (95%CI:1.18-2.08)) or weight loss (aHR:1.46 (95%CI:1.17-1.81)).

While each of the GLIM phenotypical criteria are adversely prognostic in oesophagogastric cancer, low SMI is most strongly associated with poor survival.