Cachexia

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome characterized by tissue loss (fat, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle), decreased appetite (anorexia), fatigue, reduced activity and reduced survival (see Figure). 

Nutritional support can only partially help cancer cachexia which is caused by inflammation and metabolic dysfunction driven by the tumor’s activity and its influence on the patient. An important aspect of this condition is that tumors adapt to using most of the available energy sources by redirecting them away from the normal tissues. The “trick” to effectively prevent cancer cachexia could be to (a) limit uptake of nutrients by the tumor, and (b) prevent the tumor from forming and sending cachectic signals to the rest of the body. Once such molecular signals can leave the tumor freely, after a while it is too late to intervene.