Managing side effects from cancer treatment is an important part of cancer care. Chemotherapy, a type of cancer treatment, can cause several side effects, including loss of appetite and weight loss, according to MayoClinic.com. Knowing how to manage and prevent weight changes is critical to improving your well-being during treatment to avoid serious health complications.
Identification
Chemotherapy is a type of treatment that uses medication to kill cancer cells. The drugs used interfere with the ability of the cells to grow, resulting in various side effects including weight loss. New approaches, using molecularly targeted drugs that disrupt cell processes, such as blood vessel formation needed for cancer cell growth, aim to reduce side effects, notes "The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook."
Function
Chemotherapy medications travel through the bloodstream to slow the growth of rapidly dividing cancers cells to ease symptoms, prevent the disease from spreading or cure the cancer, MedlinePlus explains. However, chemotherapy can sometimes harm healthy cells that also divide quickly, including blood and hair cells and cells that line the gastrointestinal tract. Consequently, you may experience side effects including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, depression, anxiety, mouth sores and difficulty swallowing, leading to decreased appetite and weight loss, notes the National Cancer Institute. Additionally, the treatment can interfere with the body's ability to digest and absorb nutrients from food.
Complications
A loss of appetite resulting from chemotherapy may lead to anorexia, a type of eating disorder characterized by rapid weight loss, or cachexia, a wasting condition that results in weight and muscle loss and loss of fat, the American Cancer Society states. Patients with cachexia may lose 10 to 20 percent of their body weight, leading to malnutrition. The condition is associated with a poor response to chemotherapy and an increased risk of death. Cachexia and anorexia commonly occur together and are frequent causes of malnutrition in cancer patients, the National Cancer Institute notes.
Longevity
Loss of body weight during chemotherapy is linked to a poor survival rate in cancer patients. A study by L.M. Hess and colleagues published in the November 2007 issue of "Gynecological Oncology" found patients who lost weight during chemotherapy survived a median of 48 months compared with those who gained weight during treatment and had an improved overall survival of 68 months. According to the researchers, a 5 percent increase in body weight during chemotherapy decreased the risk of death by 7 percent.
Prevention
Avoid weight loss during chemotherapy by eating small meals or snacks every hour to boost caloric intake, BreastCancer.org advises. Establish a routine or time to eat even if you're not hungry and snack on foods high in protein and low in fat, including yogurt, lean meat or fish and lentils. Exercise to improve your appetite and drink liquids, which are easy to swallow.
References
- MayoClinic.com: Chemotherapy
- "The Merck Manual Home Health Handbook"; Robert S. Porter et al.; 2009
- MedlinePlus: Chemotherapy
- National Cancer Institute: Overview of Nutrition in Cancer Care
- "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book"; Scott Litin et al.; 2009
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