Skeletal muscle radiodensity as an automated survival predictor in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer undergoing PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy.

Authors

Christian Immanuel, Thomas Büttner, Alois M Sprinkart, Sebastian Nowak, Maike Theis, Jim Küppers, Sibgol Fazeli, Leander Fritzsche, Aland Amin, Dilan Salih, Hojjat Ahmadzadehfar, Florian C Gärtner, Barbara Kreppel, Rupert Conrad, Manuel Ritter, Markus Essler, Philipp Krausewitz, Milka Marinova

Published in

European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging. Jul 22, 2026. Epub Jul 22, 2026.

Abstract

Skeletal muscle radiodensity (SMD) is an emerging imaging-derived marker of muscle quality. Its prognostic relevance in patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) undergoing [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617 radioligand therapy has not yet been systematically evaluated. This study aims to investigate the prognostic value of SMD derived from routine pretherapeutic PET/CT imaging in a large real-world mCRPC cohort treated with [¹⁷⁷Lu]Lu-PSMA-617.
In this single-center study, the largest to date cohort comprising 410 mCRPC patients was analyzed. SMD was quantified automatically from the L3-level CT component of pretherapeutic [⁶⁸Ga]Ga-PSMA-PET/CT using an AI-based segmentation tool. An optimal SMD cut-off (19.26 HU) was determined for survival stratification. Associations with overall survival (OS) were assessed using multivariable Cox regression (univariable and multivariable, adjusted for baseline PSA) and Kaplan-Meier analysis.
Lower SMD was associated with reduced OS (HR 1.87, P<.001). Median OS were significantly shorter in the SMD-low group compared to the SMD-high group (7.6 months vs. 12.2 months; P<.001). This prognostic stratification was seen in both, patients with or without PSA50 or PSA90 response, respectively. SMD correlated with age, albumin, and PSA, but not with BMI.
SMD assessed from routine pretherapeutic PET/CT is a non-invasive prognostic biomarker in patients undergoing PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy. Integration of host-derived imaging biomarkers such as SMD with tumor-specific parameters may improve risk stratification, prehabilitation and support future individualized treatment strategies in advanced prostate cancer.

PMID:
42484890
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 22 Jul 2026.

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