title: Tumour-host metabolic interaction and cachexia.
abstract: Cachexia is a terminal metabolic problem observed in a wide variety of tumours. In this article I propose that the syndrome is a direct consequence of the common feature to all malignant tumours: growth. I suggest that the requirement for essential amino acids can be used as the unifying principle that links the tumour to the two main components of cachexia: muscle wastage and anorexia. This underlying factor is usually clouded by the overlapping of individual tumour characteristics.
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D002100:Cachexia / Q000209:etiology*; D002455:Cell Division; D006801:Humans; D007930:Leucine / Q000378:metabolism; D008954:Models, Biological; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D007930:Leucine