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Managing Weight Loss

Learn about cancer-related weight loss

Why does weight loss occur in patients with cancer?

Among people with cancer, weight loss is one of the most common complaints.
The following factors may cause weight loss in people with cancer:

• Mechanical obstruction, such as a tumor in the gastrointestinal tract or in the mouth or throat, can alter food intake.
• Treatments such as chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy can also result in loss of appetite. Pain, sore mouth, nausea, and other conditions reduce the appeal of food or makes eating difficult.
• Psychological issues, especially with a diagnosis of cancer leading to depression or anxiety can reduce food intake.

These kinds of weight loss can be reversed with an appropriate diet that is high in energy, protein and EPA, an omega 3 fatty acid derived from fish oil.

Cancer-induced weight loss is different from other types of weight loss. The presence of a tumor results in metabolic abnormalities causing the body to burn calories faster than they can be replaced. For people with cancer-induced weight loss, increasing food intake alone does not effectively stabilize weight or reverse malnutrition.

Are all cancer patients affected?

The incidence and degrees of cancer-induced weight loss varies by tumor type and stage of disease, with the greatest frequency seen in those in the early stage of following types of cancers: colorectal, esophagus, kidney, lung, pancreas, stomach, head and neck.

However, involuntary weight loss can also occur in advanced stages of other cancers, such as: breast, ovarian, prostate and leukemia. Unfortunately, up to 30 to 50% of all cancer deaths are due to weight loss rather than cancer itself¹.

1. Palomares MR, Sayre JW, Shekar KC, et al. Gender influence on weight-losing pattern and survival of non-small cell lung carcinoma patients. Cancer 1996;78:2119-2125.

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