Cancer Cachexia Explained
Cancer cachexia affects approximately 70% of all cancer patients and is responsible for up to 22% of cancer-related deaths. It is a syndrome characterized by weight loss and muscle loss, which may occur with or without fat loss. This condition is multifactorial and is driven by a combination of reduced food intake and multiple metabolic factors, including systemic inflammation, neurohormonal dysregulation, and increased catabolism.
Cancer cachexia is more than typical weight loss or malnutrition. For example, in cases where someone is not eating enough, providing adequate calories and nutrition can often restore body weight and muscle mass. This is not the case with cachexia. Even with nutritional support, muscle wasting typically cannot be fully reversed in cancer cachexia.
Cancer cachexia should be understood as a metabolic and inflammatory syndrome, not simply a result of inadequate food intake. If you observe unintentional weight loss along with signs of muscle loss, decreased appetite, inflammation, fatigue, and functional decline in cancer patients, these may indicate cancer-related cachexia.