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. 2010 Jan 22:2:27-38.
doi: 10.2147/cmar.s7101.

Optimal management of cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome

Josep M Argilés  1 , Mireia Olivan, Sílvia Busquets, Francisco Javier López-Soriano
Affiliations

Optimal management of cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome

Josep M Argilés et al. Cancer Manag Res. .

Abstract

According to a recent consensus, cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome associated with underlying illness and characterized by loss of muscle with or without loss of fat mass. The prominent clinical feature of cachexia is weight loss. Cachexia occurs in the majority of cancer patients before death and it is responsible for the deaths of 22% of cancer patients. Although bodyweight is the most important endpoint of any cachexia treatment, body composition, physical performance and quality of life should be monitored. From the results presented here, one can speculate that a single therapy may not be completely successful in the treatment of cachexia. From this point of view, treatments involving different combinations are more likely to be successful. The objectives of any therapeutic combination are two-fold: an anticatabolic aim directed towards both fat and muscle catabolism and an anabolic objective leading to the synthesis of macromolecules such as contractile proteins.

Keywords: anorexia; cancer; drugs; nutraceuticals; wasting.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Therapeutic targets for cancer cachexia. There are different therapeutic approaches to fight anorexia and metabolic disturbances based in the combination of nutritional support, nutraceuticals and specific drugs. The objectives for cachexia treatment are two: anticatabolic (directed towards both fat and muscle) and anabolic (leading to the synthesis of macromolecules).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Cachexia endpoints. The monitoring of cachexia is a key issue during therapy. Different parameters in relation with anorexia and metabolic disturbances should be taken into consideration. Although bodyweight is the most important endpoint, body composition, physical performance and survival, which reflect the impact of the treatment, should also be taken into consideration and analyzed. Abbreviation: QoL, quality of life.
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