Chapter 41 • Loss of appetite and weight loss are common in patients with advanced, incurable cancer and are associated with a poor prognosis. • Although patients with advanced, incurable cancer who have the “cachexia syndrome” may appear malnourished, nutritional support with either enteral or parenteral nutrition rarely provides a positive impact on clinical outcomes. • For palliative purposes, corticosteroids and progestational agents improve appetite in patients with incurable cancer who are experiencing a loss of appetite and weight loss. • A variety of agents that target muscle, including antimyostatin therapy, are currently being tested in clinical trials to begin to determine their role in treating cancer cachexia syndrome.
Cancer Cachexia
Summary of Key Points
