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Review
. 2022 Oct 26;14(21):5262.
doi: 10.3390/cancers14215262.

Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer Cachexia

Gerald Clamon  1 , Margaret M Byrne  1 , Erin E Talbert  2
Affiliations
Review

Inflammation as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer Cachexia

Gerald Clamon et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Cachexia is a common complication of cancer and is associated with poor quality of life and a decrease in survival. Many patients with cancer cachexia suffer from inflammation associated with elevated cytokines, such as interleukin-1beta (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). Single-agent trials to treat cancer cachexia have not led to substantial benefit as the type of cytokine which is elevated has rarely been specified and targeted. Cachexia may also be multifactorial, involving inflammation, anorexia, catabolism, depression, and pain, and targeting the multiple causes will likely be necessary to achieve improvement in weight and appetite. A PUBMED search revealed over 3000 articles on cancer cachexia in the past ten years. We attempted to review any studies related to inflammation and cancer cachexia identified by Google Scholar and PUBMED and further search for articles listed in their references. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines do not provide any suggestion for managing cancer cachexia except a dietary consult. A more targeted approach to developing therapies for cancer cachexia might lead to more personalized and effective therapy.

Keywords: cancer-associated weight loss; cytokines; tissue wasting.

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Conflict of interest statement

Gerald Clamon has financial interest in Pfizer, Inc. Margaret Byrne and Erin E. Talbert have no conflicts of interest to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Review question. Created with Biorender.com on 10 October 2022.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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