Sarcopenia is characterised by progressive and extensive skeletal muscle degeneration and is associated with functional decline. Sarcopenia has primary and secondary aetiology, arising as a result of the ageing process or through chronic cytokine-mediated inflammation (associated with health conditions including cancer), respectively. Diagnosis of sarcopenia is dependent upon detection of reduced skeletal muscle strength, mass and performance. A combination of non-radiological and radiological methods can be used to assess each of these in turn to accurately diagnose sarcopenia. Sarcopenia is known to adversely affect outcomes of patients with various forms of cancer. Early identification of sarcopenia is imperative in improving patient care and overall prognosis. Various interventions, such as resistance exercise, nutritional support, and amino acid and vitamin supplementation have shown promise in the management of sarcopenia. However, further insight into novel interventions and indeed, assessment of the benefits of management of sarcopenia in terms of survival, are required to better support cancer patients.
Until recently, men with metastatic prostate cancer were commenced on androgen deprivation therapy at diagnosis, followed by sequential lines of treatment with the development of castration resistance. However, the results of recent clinical trials, which revealed that the addition of radiotherapy to the prostate to a dose of 55 to 60 Gy in 20 fractions over 4 weeks in patients with low-volume metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, in addition to androgen deprivation therapy and another systemic treatment option, either docetaxel, abiraterone, enzalutamide, or apalutamide, has led to a paradigm change in the management of this disease.
Testicular seminoma remains to be relatively low and majority of them presented with Stage I disease and single agent carboplatin appeared to be the preferred adjuvant treatment. Advanced disease patients were treated with etoposide and cisplatin/bleomycin, etoposide and cisplatin chemotherapy and the clinical outcome is comparable with the Western literature.
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