Jung AR, et al. - Researchers examined the values of body composition for predicting recurrence and survival in patients with advanced-stage Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). They determined the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscles (SMs) at the level of the third lumbar vertebra on the computed tomography images of whole-body 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron-emission tomography/computed tomography before and after treatments for assessing sarcopenia in 258 consecutive patients with definitive treatments for advanced-stage HNSCC. Findings revealed pretreatment and post-treatment diminished SM masses (sarcopenia) in 17 (6.6%) and 32 (12.4%) cases, respectively. As per multivariable analyses, the independent variables predictive of DFS and OS outcomes were age, Charlson comorbidity index, pretreatment and post-treatment sarcopenia, pretreatment hypoalbuminaemia, p16 status and tumor site. Risk of overall recurrence or death was threefold elevated for patients with sarcopenia before or after treatment.