Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with cancer cachexia

• Published in: Oncology and translational medicine Vol. 4; no. 4; pp. 133 - 143
• Main Authors: Zhou, Ting, Yu, Shiying
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Department of Oncology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China 01.08.2018
• Subjects: treatment; molecular mechanism; malignant tumor; staging and diagnosis; cachexia
• ISSN: 2095-9621; 2995-5858
• DOI: 10.1007/s10330-018-0279-9

Abstract Cachexia is a common complication with an incidence rate of 50%-80% in cancer patients. It is also responsible for 20% of mortality among these patients. Cachexia can significantly reduce the efficacy of antitumor therapies and increase treatment-related toxicity and adverse effects in cancer patients. This increases the symptom burden in patients, affects their quality of life, and ultimately shortens their survival time. The mechanism underlying the development of cachexia is complex and diverse and involves various factors and pathways, each playing an important role. Treatment approaches for cachexia are multimodal, including nutrition support therapy, appetite stimulants, and therapeutic drugs that specifically target the mechanism behind the disease. In recent years, we have gradually gained a better understanding of cachexia, and significant progress has been made in delineating molecular mechanisms, staging and diagnosis, and therapeutic drug treatment of cancer cachexia. This article reviews the research progress of cancer cachexia based on these contexts.