The emotional aspects of cancer anorexia.
OBJECTIVE
To discuss the psychosocial support of people affected by cancer anorexia, drawing on recent publications.


RESULTS
Recent studies describe the problem of distress in response to cancer anorexia. There are propositions of appropriate support and calls for the development of psychosocial interventions to relieve cachexia-related distress. Preliminary work is now testing these ideas.


CONCLUSIONS
Psychosocial support for cancer anorexia is a new and promising field of study. The prevention or alleviation of the anorexia of cachexia would relieve much eating-related suffering experienced by patients and their families. However, whilst the scientific community works to achieve this goal there is another task to be addressed: to help people with cancer anorexia to adapt and live with the symptom. Despite accounts over many years of the distress caused by poor appetite, little attention has been paid to the potential for psychosocial support to aid self-management of the symptom. Emergent thinking is that psychosocial support for cancer anorexia can have benefit for both patients and their family members.
Hopkinson
Jane B
JB
Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. J.B.Hopkinson@soton.ac.uk
D000855:Anorexia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D002100:Cachexia / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support; D015431:Weight Loss