Sarcopenia as an indicator of nutritional status and predictor of upper gastrointestinal cancer mortality at Dr. Sardjito Central Hospital

Background: Sarcopenia is defined as a musculoskeletal disease generally characterized by loss of skeletal muscle mass, skeletal muscle strength, and physical performance. This study aims to determine sarcopenia as an indicator of nutritional status and predictor of mortality among patients with upper gastrointestinal cancer at Dr. Sardjito Hospital. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional study using secondary data in medical records conducted from April to May 2023 at Dr. Sardjito Hospital Yogyakarta. The sample consisted of 32 patients and reached the inclusion & exclusion criteria. The data were subsequently analyzed through bivariate analysis with the Chi -Square test. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0 for Windows. Results: From the 32 study samples obtained, 81.3% had sarcopenia while the remaining 18.8% did not have sarcopenia; 31.3% of patients were categorized as underweight, 50% of patients were normal, and 18.8% of patients were overweight; and 59.4% of patients died while the remaining 40.6% lived. No significant association was found between sarcopenia and nutritional status (p=0.169). However, a significant association was observed between sarcopenia and mortality (p=0.029), with an odds ratio of 0.089. Conclusion: Sarcopenia cannot be used as an indicator of the nutritional status of upper gastrointestinal cancer patients. However, it can serve as a predictor for mortality associated with the disease.