Utility of body composition software in identifying sarcopenia, and the significance of sarcopenia in patients with upper gastrointestinal malignancy

Sarcopenia is defined as the progressive, systematic loss of skeletal muscle mass, function and quality that is associated with aging or atrophy. There are multiple methods for diagnosing sarcopenia, with body composition tools being increasingly utilised. The presence of sarcopenia has been shown to be associated with poorer outcomes for patients with malignancy. This thesis describes an initial study investigating the use of body composition software in identifying sarcopenia in a population of patients with upper gastrointestinal (UGI) malignancies undergoing surgical resection at a single institution. The impact of sarcopenia on outcomes will also be investigated.