Introduction: Early detection of muscle loss and prediction of prognosis in cancer patients are of great importance for clinical management. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between temporal muscle thickness changes over time and clinical outcomes in patients with advanced solid cancer, and to evaluate the prognostic value of temporal muscle loss rate in predicting 90-day mortality. Methods: In this retrospective observational study, patients with advanced solid cancer who had at least two cranial computed tomography scans during follow-up were included. Temporal muscle thickness was measured on both the right and left sides at two different time points, and the temporal muscle loss rate (mm/month) was calculated. Demographic data, laboratory parameters, and anthropometric measurements were obtained from patient records. Factors predicting mortality were evaluated using logistic regression analysis, and prognostic performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic analysis. Results: A total of 57 patients were included in the study. 90-day mortality occurred in 78.9% of patients. Neutrophil levels were significantly higher in the mortality group, while albumin and magnesium levels were significantly lower. Baseline temporal muscle thickness measurements were not associated with mortality; however, right and left temporal muscle loss rates were significantly higher in the mortality group. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified left temporal muscle loss rate and neutrophil level as independent predictors of mortality. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis demonstrated good discriminative performance, with the left temporal muscle loss rate exhibiting superior predictive ability. Conclusion: Temporal muscle loss rate may serve as a useful dynamic biomarker for predicting short-term mortality in patients with advanced solid cancer.
Konur et al. (2026) studied this question.