Cancer Cachexia: Diagnosis, Assessment, and Treatment

Cachexia is a multifactorial and multi-organ syndrome that is one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in late stages of chronic conditions such as AIDS, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), congestive heart failure, multiple sclerosis, tuberculosis, and cancer. More than 50 percent of cancer patients suffer from cachexia at death, with the distribution varying by tumor type; the incidence is highest in patients with gastric and pancreatic cancer ( ∼80%) while patients with breast cancer and leukemia demonstrate the lowest frequency (∼40%) of affliction with cachexia (Argiles et al., 2005; Muscaritoli et al., 2006; Tisdale, 2005).
Source: Critical Reviews in Oncology Hematology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Source Type: research