Abstract

Cachexia is a multifactorial process of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue atrophy resulting in progressive weight loss. The prevalence of cachexia is thought to be up to 80% of upper gastrointestinal cancer patients and 60% of lung cancer patients at the time of diagnosis. Anorexia, inflammation, insulin resistance, and increased muscle protein breakdown are frequently associated with cachexia. It is associated with poor quality of life, poor physical function, and poor prognosis in cancer patients. It involves multiple pathways: procachectic and proinflammatory signals from tumor cells, systemic inflammation in the host, and widespread metabolic changes (increased resting energy expenditure and alterations in metabolism of protein, fat, and carbohydrate). Recently, cytokines, metabolic abnormalities, and neurohormonal alterations are believed to be responsible for cachexia and cytokines are the dominant cause but all alterations occur simultaneously. I hereby review the metabolic changes in cancer patients. (SMN 2011;2:41-44)

• Keywords: Cancer, Metabolic change, Cachexia