Role of Sarcopenia in Advanced Malignant Cutaneous Melanoma Treated with Immunotherapy: A Meta-Analysis

INTRODUCTION: The role of sarcopenia in malignant cutaneous melanoma is unclear. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to analyze the prevalence and clinical role of sarcopenia in patients with advanced cutaneous melanoma based on a large cohort. METHODS: MEDLINE, Cochrane, and SCOPUS databases were checked for relationships between sarcopenia and clinical outcomes in melanoma up to September 2021. Overall, 6 studies including 719 patients met the inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis was performed using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: The prevalence of sarcopenia was 40.23%. Sarcopenia did not influence dose-limiting toxicity of treatment, hazard ratio (HR) 1.01, 95% CI (0.70–1.47). Sarcopenia was associated with lower progression-free survival (PFS): HR 1.49, 95% CI (0.98–2.26), and lower overall survival (OS): HR 1.67, 95% CI (1.11–2.52). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative prevalence of sarcopenia in malignant cutaneous melanoma is 40.77%. Sarcopenia is slightly associated with PFS and OS and it is not associated with treatment toxicity.