TY - JOUR
T1 - Get a grip! – Baseline handgrip strength and sarcopenia as predictors of survival in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
AU - Orell, Helena
AU - Pohju, Anne
AU - Ravasco, Paula
AU - Schwab, Ursula
AU - Osterlund, Pia
AU - Mäkitie, Antti A.
N1 - Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
PY - 2026/6
Y1 - 2026/6
N2 - BACKGROUND: Low handgrip strength (HGS) and sarcopenia are common in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study aimed to explore associations between baseline HGS, fat-free mass index (FFMI), nutritional indices, and survival.METHODS: This was a prospective observational sub-study of a randomized nutritional intervention trial, including 50 male patients with HNSCC undergoing curative-intent treatment (surgery and/or (chemo)radiotherapy). Sarcopenia was defined as low HGS (<27 kg) and FFMI (<17 kg/m
2). Chi-square, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox analyses were used.
RESULTS: Low HGS was observed in 16%, low FFMI in 46%, and sarcopenia in 12%. Patients with low HGS had lower body weight, BMI, and FFMI, alongside more malnutrition, elevated CRP, and heavy smoking. Low HGS and sarcopenia were associated with shorter overall survival (HR 3.7, [95% CI 1.5-9.1] and 5.5, [2.2-14.5], respectively); FFMI was not. Adjustment removed significance. Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small, all-male cohort size.CONCLUSION: In this small exploratory cohort HGS may serve as a simple screening surrogate for sarcopenia and survival.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.CLINICALTRIALS: gov, identifier NCT02159508.
AB - BACKGROUND: Low handgrip strength (HGS) and sarcopenia are common in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). This study aimed to explore associations between baseline HGS, fat-free mass index (FFMI), nutritional indices, and survival.METHODS: This was a prospective observational sub-study of a randomized nutritional intervention trial, including 50 male patients with HNSCC undergoing curative-intent treatment (surgery and/or (chemo)radiotherapy). Sarcopenia was defined as low HGS (<27 kg) and FFMI (<17 kg/m
2). Chi-square, Kaplan-Meier, and Cox analyses were used.
RESULTS: Low HGS was observed in 16%, low FFMI in 46%, and sarcopenia in 12%. Patients with low HGS had lower body weight, BMI, and FFMI, alongside more malnutrition, elevated CRP, and heavy smoking. Low HGS and sarcopenia were associated with shorter overall survival (HR 3.7, [95% CI 1.5-9.1] and 5.5, [2.2-14.5], respectively); FFMI was not. Adjustment removed significance. Findings should be interpreted cautiously due to the small, all-male cohort size.CONCLUSION: In this small exploratory cohort HGS may serve as a simple screening surrogate for sarcopenia and survival.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: www.CLINICALTRIALS: gov, identifier NCT02159508.
KW - EWGSOP
KW - GLIM
KW - Handgrip strength
KW - Head and neck cancer
KW - Malnutrition
KW - Nutritional status
KW - Oncology
KW - PG-SGA
KW - Sarcopenia
KW - Body Mass Index
KW - Prospective Studies
KW - Humans
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck/mortality
KW - Kaplan-Meier Estimate
KW - Proportional Hazards Models
KW - Male
KW - Sarcopenia/physiopathology
KW - Aged
KW - Nutritional Status
KW - Head and Neck Neoplasms/complications
KW - Hand Strength
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105038177685
U2 - 10.1016/j.clnesp.2026.103312
DO - 10.1016/j.clnesp.2026.103312
M3 - Article
C2 - 42069057
AN - SCOPUS:105038177685
SN - 2405-4577
VL - 73
JO - Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
JF - Clinical Nutrition ESPEN
M1 - 103312
ER -