Cachexia, weight loss, lack of appetite, and weakness, is common in cancer patients due to the body expending more energy during rest. Inflammatory cytokines are linked to the process, and treatments include exercise, insulin therapy, supplements, and antibody treatments.
Cachexia is a term that refers to weight loss, lack of appetite, and weakness that occurs in a variety of medical conditions and persists even when an individual eats or consumes calories. There is a close relationship between cachexia and cancer, as this phenomenon occurs in approximately 50% of individuals with this disease. Generally, this weight reduction is due to the loss of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue.
Sometimes, cachexia and cancer occur together, but loss of body tissue is noted before a tumor is found. Individuals may lose their appetite when this occurs, but not necessarily, as the weight loss is actually due to the body expending more energy during rest. Tumors require large amounts of energy to grow and can activate certain mechanisms in the body that cause the breakdown of fat tissue and proteins found in muscle cells. A cancer may then attempt to use the products of this metabolism, or the breakdown of complex molecules, as an energy source.
Proteins known as inflammatory cytokines appear to be linked to the cachexia process. Normally, these cytokines allow the body to mount an immune response against invading organisms, but when improperly activated, they can metabolize the body’s tissues. This process seems to persist even at rest, which is why the body’s ability to replace cells and nutrients is not sufficient to regain the lost weight.
After cachexia and cancer are detected, individuals can undertake efforts to control the causes and symptoms of each condition. There are several potential methods for treating cachexia. Exercise might be difficult for an individual in poor health to do, but it can help ensure that available energy is supplied to the body rather than the tumor. Insulin therapy may also be used and this treatment helps control available blood sugar. Both of these methods, when used among individuals with cachexia and cancer, appear to help control weight and health.
There are other medicinal options for individuals showing both cachexia and cancer. Supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acids, can increase weight and increase appetite. Antibody treatments have also been used to target and disable enzymes involved in the cachexia process. Medications such as corticosteroids and medicinal marijuana may allow people with these conditions to have better appetites, although these therapies may not necessarily lead to weight gain.
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