Myosteatosis in Oeso-gastric Cancer: Clinical Impacts

Oesophageal and gastric cancer pose a significant challenge to caregivers, both in terms of the complexity of its presentation and its treatment. At diagnosis, patients often present with malnutrition associated with sarcopenia, which has a significant impact on morbidity and mortality. Although loss of muscle mass has received much attention in cancer, muscle quality, particularly the accumulation of fat in muscle named "myosteatosis", may be considered as a better predictor of a patient's physical condition and ability to recover from cancer treatments. Studying the tumor microenvironment is essential to understanding the mechanisms underlying disease progression. Cancer-associated adipocytes (CAA), a major component of this tumor microenvironment, provide an interface for dialogue with the tumor through the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines, metalloproteases and the release of free fatty acids. They have been described as capable of stimulating tumor progression, particularly in breast cancer. However, their presence in oesogastric cancer and possible links with myosteatosis have not been described.