Cancer has many side effects, but one of the worst is cachexia. It is one of the few outward signs of cancer that mark a person as a patient. It is a progressive wasting of the fat and muscle of the body. Even if the person eats, which most cancer patients are reluctant to do, the body still does not gain any weight due to the metabolic changes caused by the disease. If you are experiencing cachexia or a loved one is, talk to your doctor about possible treatment options for increasing your food intake.
Cachexia
Cachexia is a condition in which the body begins to break down both muscle and fat for fuel. It is most common in end-stage cancer, but is also seen in patients with AIDS, cystic fibrosis and other chronic diseases. This wasting of the body leads to severe electrolyte, or nutrient, imbalances that can cause side effects, such as fatigue, weakness, muscle twitching and pain, according to OncoLink. Death usually results from severe imbalances in electrolytes that cause abnormal heart rhythms caused by this wasting. It is estimated that nearly 75 percent of all cancer patients experience cachexia at some point in their treatment progression.
Cachexia and Diet Therapy
The obvious treatment for cachexia is to feed the patient more calorie-dense food, but this has not proven to help this condition. In fact, more calories do not help people with cachexia because they are metabolically unable to use them the way a healthy person does, according to a November 1997 article in the "British Medical Journal." However, if the cachexia is the result of being unable to swallow, a feeding tube can help the person regain weight. But even with an intravenous line, patients can still experience cachexia because of the body's release of inflammatory agents called cytokines.
Drug Therapy
Many drugs exist to increase appetite, counteract the metabolic effects of cachexia and help gain weight. The most common drug used for cachexia is megestrol acetate, which is a synthetic progesterone hormone that helps increase appetite. Its effects are generally short-lived, but it does increase a patient's sense of well-being. Corticosteroids are also used to help patients put on weight, but the effects do not last long and they do not help to add muscle mass. Omega-3 fatty acids have been studied for their ability to decrease the inflammatory markers that are usually present in individuals with cachexia, and the medication thalidomide also shows promise against cytokines.
Cancer and High-Calorie Diets
If you have cachexia or a loved one does, you have to make every bit of food count. It is important to eat high-calorie, high-protein foods in small meals throughout the day. Add butter or oil to any of your foods, such as pasta, potatoes, bread and rice to increase caloric content, according to MayoClinic.com. Use peanut butter with pretzels, crackers or toast, and add powdered milk to sauces, gravies and hot cereal. Your best bet is nutritional supplement drinks that are high in calories. It is sometimes easier to drink calories than it is to eat a large, heavy meal.
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