What is Cancer Cachexia or Cancer Anorexia

Cancer can produce a wide range of side effects that many patients know little or nothing about until they begin to experience them. This includes cancer anorexia (also called cancer cachexia), a condition that affects nearly 80 percent of all cancer patients. Here is a closer look at why this syndrome occurs and what it does to a patient’s health when left untreated.

Cancer and the Human Body
The side effects of cancer change between almost every patient depending on where the cancer is, the stage of their cancer, and their battery of treatments. There are currently over 100 different forms of cancer, and all of these diseases have their own unique side effects. Cancer cachexia has been diagnosed in patients with all known forms of cancer and accounts for around 20 percent of all cancer deaths.

What Is Cancer Anorexia?
Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome that can be the result of any number of factors including the patient’s cancer treatments. This syndrome is characterized by a severe drop in the patient’s weight. Instead of losing fat, these patients will often lose a large amount of muscle fibers and other soft tissue. In addition to losing weight, patients that develop this syndrome will typically experience chronic fatigue and pain throughout their body.

The Physical and Psychological Effects of Cancer Cachexia
Cancer and its various treatments can take an incredible toll on a patient’s body. The loss of muscle and other soft tissue can weaken a patient to the point that their body is unable to fight off common infections. Those that are experiencing this syndrome can also struggle with depression as they become too weak to engage in everyday activities. Over time, cachexia can result in severe malnutrition, dehydration, and death.

Treating This Condition
The latest strategies are to address the initial stages of cachexia with advanced medical nutritional supplementation. The patient and their doctor will generally come up with a number of meal plans to ensure that their body is receiving vital nutrients. In the late stages of this syndrome, the doctor might suggest prescription medication to increase one’s appetite and reduce nausea. Catching and treating this syndrome as early on as possible will drastically improve one’s treatment options.

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