I - Cancer cachexia: Pathophysiological mechanisms

Cancer cachexia is a condition characterized by anorexia, progressive tissue wasting and loss of weight, It has been estimated that cachexia may be a major contributor to death in up to two-thirds of patients with cancer, Cachexia is associated with a complex array of organ and tissue abnormalities, such as skeletal muscle atrophy and weakness, accelerated loss of fat stores and visceral organ atrophy, the combination of which may predispose patients undergoing surgery to wound infection and breakdown, respiratory complications, prolonged hospital stay and rehabilitation) Detailed analyses of immune function, haematology and biochemistry in affected patients frequently reveal anergy, anaemia, hypoalbuminaemia, lactic acidaemia, hyperlipidaemia and glucose intolerance. In many cases, the external manifestations of this process serve to alert clinicians to the possibility of an underlying malignancy in a newly referred patient.