title: Cachexia assessment tools.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cachexia is a common negative consequence of cancer and is often unrecognized. To assess cachexia, malnutrition assessment tools are used. This review discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the current malnutrition assessment tools and describes the requirements for a comprehensive cachexia assessment instrument and its implication for clinics and research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The historic definition of cachexia has been updated based on new understanding of mechanism and clinical concepts. Classification of cachectic patients includes novel domains and stages. Validated cachexia assessment tools based on the new classification are under development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cachexia has an impact for patients and proxies. Due to a lack of formal cachexia assessment instrument, malnutrition assessment tools are in use. Future comprehensive cachexia assessment instruments will identify cachexia domains and stages and classify cachexia, the basis for better clinical treatment and research.
authors: European Palliative Reasearch Center, Department of Cancer Research and Molecular Medicine, NTNU, Faculty of Medicine, Trondheim, Norway.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Blum
authors: Florian
authors: F
authors: Strasser
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue; D000855:Anorexia; D002100:Cachexia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D044342:Malnutrition; D053580:Muscle Strength; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000523:psychology; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011788:Quality of Life; D018570:Risk Assessment; D015431:Weight Loss