title: Cancer cachexia syndrome: pathogenesis, diagnosis, and new therapeutic options.
abstract: Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) is the most frequent paraneoplastic syndrome occurring in half of all oncologic patients and is considered as a poor prognosticator. Patients usually present with weight loss, lipolysis, muscle wasting, anorexia, chronic nausea, inflammation, and asthenia. The etiopathogenesis of CACS is still poorly understood, although several factors and biological pathways are known to be involved. Because of the complexity of this multifactorial condition, a single agent therapy may not be sufficient. Indeed, there is a tendency toward an integrated multiple approach including nonpharmacological and pharmacological treatments. However, despite encouraging preliminary results, currently there is not enough evidence to support a change in clinical practice. This review provides a brief and practical summary of the diagnosis, pathogenesis, and treatment of CACS. Future perspectives will also be discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Human Pathology , University of Messina , Messina , Italy.
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mondello
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mian
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aloisi
authors.forename: Fausto
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Famà
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondello
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pitini
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002100:Cachexia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D011379:Prognosis