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Why Muscle Health Matters More Than You Think: The Impact of Muscle Loss in Myxofibrosarcoma

Date Submitted: 12/15/2025

Date Accepted: 12/29/2025


Myxofibrosarcoma is a rare type of cancer that begins in the body’s soft tissues, such as muscles, fat, and skin. The name of the cancer helps explain what it is: “myxo” means jelly-like, “fibro” refers to connective tissue, and “sarcoma” means a cancer that starts in soft tissues (8). This cancer predominantly affects older adults and may exhibit aggressive growth and spread. As it develops, it often causes people to lose muscle and fat, which can make treatment and recovery more difficult. Because of how aggressive it is, researchers are working to better understand how this disease affects the rest of the body (1).

Figure 1. Visual representation of Myxofibrosarcoma: a cancer that begins in soft tissues such as muscle and connective tissue (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).
Figure 1. Visual representation of Myxofibrosarcoma: a cancer that begins in soft tissues such as muscle and connective tissue (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).

One major focus of this research is a condition called sarcopenia, which means the loss of muscle size and strength. Sarcopenia most commonly affects older adults, because muscle mass naturally decreases with age (9). However, it can also develop in younger people who have chronic illnesses, cancer, or who are undergoing intensive medical treatments like chemotherapy. In these cases, muscle loss happens more quickly than it normally would with aging alone, but some cancer treatments can make it happen much faster (6,11). Practitioners are concerned about this because people with low muscle mass tend to have worse side effects from chemotherapy, more infections after surgery, and a difficult time recovering (1,6). 


To better understand how muscle loss affects people with myxofibrosarcoma, a long-term study, Prognostic and clinical implications of CT-morphometric sarcopenia in adult myxofibrosarcoma patients: a longitudinal analysis, was conducted on patients diagnosed with this rare cancer. Researchers used CT scans, which are detailed 3D images made using X-rays and computers (4). These scans allowed doctors to measure different types of muscles in the body using specific muscle indexes. They looked at total muscle size in relation to height, called the skeletal muscle index (SMI). They also measured the muscles that support the spine, known as the paraspinal muscle index (PSMI), and the large lower-back muscle that helps with movement and posture, called the psoas muscle index (PMI). In addition, they examined how healthy the muscle tissue looked by measuring muscle density, called skeletal muscle density (SMD), which shows how much fat is mixed into the muscle (6,7). Together, these measurements helped practitioners clearly track how the body changed during treatment and how muscle loss affected recovery and survival.


Figure 2. Visual representation of muscle mass in healthy individuals and in sarcopenia individuals (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).
Figure 2. Visual representation of muscle mass in healthy individuals and in sarcopenia individuals (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).

In this study, researchers examined 55 patients who were diagnosed with myxofibrosarcoma and had surgery between 2010 and 2024. Each patient had two CT scans: one before treatment surgery and one about a year after surgery. The scans focused on the lower back area near the third bone of the lumbar region (L3) because this location clearly shows changes in muscle and fat. By comparing the two scans, practitioners used the pre-surgery scan as a baseline to see how each patient’s body changed over time and how cancer treatments affected muscle and fat levels (1).


Figure 3: Anatomy of the lumbar spine (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).
Figure 3: Anatomy of the lumbar spine (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).

Comparisons between pre- and post-treatment scans showed that many patients experienced significant muscle and fat loss. This muscle and fat loss became even more apparent after patients received chemotherapy, which uses strong drugs to kill cancer cells. Patients who received chemotherapy showed some of the largest drops in muscle size and fat levels. Fat around the organs, known as visceral fat, also decreased (1,2,3). Interestingly, radiation treatment did not cause major changes in muscle or fat. Even though patients lost muscle, the overall quality of the muscle stayed about the same. One of the most important findings was that patients who lost 15% or more of their muscle between scans tended to have poorer survival outcomes. This shows that muscle loss is not just a side effect — it is an important warning sign for doctors (1).


From a scientific point of view, this research also shows how powerful medical imaging can be. CT scans are already used for diagnosing disease and tracking cancer, but this study shows they can also be used to measure muscle health. Even though CT scans use radiation and should not be done unnecessarily, doctors can gather muscle information from scans that patients are already receiving (5). This allows doctors to better understand a patient’s physical condition before, during, and after treatment (1). In the future, this could help doctors personalize treatment by combining cancer therapy with specific exercise and nutrition plans to protect muscle and strength.


This study has powerful meaning beyond just myxofibrosarcoma. It shows that muscle health is deeply connected to overall health, especially during serious illness. When the body loses muscle, it becomes weaker, heals more slowly, and struggles more to fight infection. That is why taking care of muscles through daily movement and good nutrition is so important. Simple activities like walking, stretching, and light exercise help keep muscles strong (10,11). Eating enough foods rich in nutrients helps the body build and repair muscle. Practitioners often see that patients who stay active and begin physical therapy soon after surgery recover more quickly, regain strength and movement faster, and have fewer complications such as blood clots, lung infections, or muscle weakness (10).


Figure 4. Importance of muscle health (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).
Figure 4. Importance of muscle health (Image created with the help of ChatGPT).

The most important message from this study is simple: keeping your muscles strong helps protect your health, especially during illness. Muscle is not just for movement — it helps support your immune system, protect your joints, store nutrients, and keep your body steady and balanced. When muscle is lost, the entire body becomes more vulnerable to illnesses (11). This study clearly shows that large muscle loss can shorten life in cancer patients, making muscle health something that deserves crucial attention (10). These habits may seem small, but they can make a big difference over time. In the end, protecting your muscles means protecting your overall health.


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References:

  1. Kylies J, Reiter A, Brauneck E, Striefler JK, Frosch KH, Priemel M. Prognostic and clinical implications of CT-morphometric sarcopenia in adult myxofibrosarcoma patients: a longitudinal analysis. World Journal of Surgical Oncology. 2025;23(1):403. doi:10.1186/s12957-025-04069-6

  2. Visceral fat. Cleveland Clinic. Published September 24, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24147-visceral-fat

  3. Frysh P. Visceral fat: What is it? WebMD. Published April 8, 2024. https://www.webmd.com/diet/what-is-visceral-fat

  4. Facts about Computed Tomography (CT) scans. Radiation and Your Health. Published February 15, 2024. 

    https://www.cdc.gov/radiation-health/data-research/facts-stats/ct-scans.html

  5. The difference between x-ray, CT and MRI. Premier Orthopaedic & Trauma Specialists. https://www.premierortho.org/the-difference-between-x-ray-ct-and-mri/

  6. Kim IH, Choi MH, Lee IS, Hong TH, Lee MAh. Clinical significance of skeletal muscle density and sarcopenia in patients with pancreatic cancer undergoing first-line chemotherapy: a retrospective observational study. BMC Cancer. 2021;21(1):77. doi:10.1186/s12885-020-07753-w

  7. Rodge GA, Goenka U, Jajodia S, et al. Psoas Muscle Index: A Simple and Reliable Method of Sarcopenia Assessment on Computed Tomography Scan in Chronic Liver Disease and its Impact on Mortality. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hepatology. 2022;13(2):196-202. doi:10.1016/j.jceh.2022.12.002

  8. Myxofibrosarcoma - Symptoms and causes. Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/myxofibrosarcoma/symptoms-causes/syc-20577507.

  9. Sarcoma. Cleveland Clinic. Published September 29, 2025. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17934-sarcoma

  10. Post-Operative Mobility Gains: Physical therapy Outcomes in numbers - obrienphysicaltherapy.net. obrienphysicaltherapy.net. Published August 20, 2025. https://www.obrienphysicaltherapy.net/blog/post-operative-mobility-gains-physical-therapy-outcomes-in-numbers

  11. Kim G, Kim JH. Impact of skeletal muscle mass on metabolic health. Endocrinology and Metabolism. 2020;35(1):1-6. doi:10.3803/enm.2020.35.1.1

 
 
 
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