Precision of Lunar Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry (iDXA) in measuring body composition among colorectal cancer patients and healthy subjects.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: High quality and precise methods are needed when monitoring changes in body composition among colorectal cancer (CRC) patients and healthy subjects. The aim of this study was to estimate precision of the Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (Lunar iDXA, GE Healthcare software enCORE version 16) in measuring body composition in CRC patients and healthy subjects.

METHODS: Precision error of iDXA in measuring body composition was investigated in the current study. Thirty CRC patients and 30 healthy subjects, including both men and women underwent two consecutive whole-body DXA scan with repositioning. Precision estimates of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) in the abdominal region, and total fat mass (FM), fat-free mass (FFM), lean mass (LM), bone mineral density (BMD) and bone mineral content (BMC) were calculated.

RESULTS: Precision error expressed as coefficient of variation (% CV) of VAT and SAT were estimated to be 3.56% and 3.28% among CRC patients, and 5.30% and 3.46% among healthy subjects. Estimated precision errors for body masses in the total region ranged between 0.49-1.01% and 0.40-0.88% in CRC patients and healthy subjects, respectively. Least significant change (LSC) in VAT mass, SAT mass, FM and LM were 140.9 g, 121.4 g, 637.0 g and 701.0 g, respectively, among CRC patients. Among healthy subjects the LSC in VAT, SAT, FM and LM were 80.93 g, 98.90 g, 484.0 g and 618.0 g, respectively. Only minor and non-significant differences between the two consecutive measurements for each body compartment were observed within both populations, and we found no systematic bias in the distribution of the differences.

CONCLUSION: The Lunar iDXA demonstrated high precision in body composition measurements among both CRC patients and healthy subjects. Hence, iDXA is a useful tool in clinical following-up and interventions targeted towards changes in body composition.