From the Guidelines
The medical term for a pattern of not eating due to cancer or chemotherapy is "cancer-related anorexia" or "cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome" (CACS). This condition involves a loss of appetite (anorexia) that often occurs alongside unintentional weight loss and muscle wasting (cachexia) in cancer patients. It can be caused by the cancer itself, which may release inflammatory substances that affect appetite regulation in the brain, or by cancer treatments like chemotherapy, which can cause nausea, vomiting, taste changes, and mouth sores that make eating difficult or unpleasant.
Key Points
- Management typically involves a multidisciplinary approach including nutritional support, medication to stimulate appetite (such as megestrol acetate or dexamethasone), treatment of underlying symptoms like nausea or pain, and sometimes nutritional supplements or enteral feeding 1.
- A recent systematic review and meta-analysis of megestrol acetate revealed improved appetite and slight improvements in weight gain when using this drug to treat anorexia/cachexia in patients with cancer 1.
- Consider corticosteroids to increase the appetite of individuals who are anorexic with advanced disease for a restricted period of time (1–3 weeks) but to be aware of side effects (eg muscle wasting, insulin resistance, infections) 1.
- This condition significantly impacts quality of life and treatment outcomes, as proper nutrition is essential for maintaining strength during cancer treatment and supporting the body's ability to heal and respond to therapy.
Treatment Approach
- A combination therapy approach may yield the best possible outcomes for patients with cancer cachexia, including medroxyprogesterone, megestrol acetate, eicosapentaenoic acid and L-carnitine supplementation, and thalidomide 1.
- For patients with months-to-weeks or weeks-to-days life expectancy, consider the use of appetite stimulants (eg, megestrol acetate, dexamethasone, olanzapine) if increased appetite is an important aspect of quality of life 1.
- Regular assessments of nutritional intake and physical activity are required during anticancer drug treatment to prevent weight loss and decreases in muscle mass and function 1.
From the FDA Drug Label
Dronabinol capsules are a prescription medicine used in adults to treat: o loss of appetite (anorexia) in people with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) who have lost weight. o nausea and vomiting caused by anti-cancer medicine (chemotherapy) in people whose nausea and vomiting have not improved with usual anti-nausea medicines
The medical term for a pattern of not eating due to cancer or chemotherapy is anorexia. Dronabinol capsules are used to treat this condition, specifically anorexia in people with AIDS and nausea and vomiting caused by anti-cancer medicine (chemotherapy) 2.
From the Research
Cancer-Related Anorexia/Cachexia
- Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) is a condition characterized by anorexia, weight loss, and muscle wasting secondary to inadequate oral intake and metabolic changes, as described in 3.
- This syndrome is highly prevalent among cancer patients and has a significant impact on morbidity, mortality, and patient quality of life.
Medical Terms for Not Eating Due to Cancer or Chemotherapy
- Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) is the medical term used to describe the condition of not eating due to cancer or chemotherapy, as mentioned in 3.
- Anorexia-cachexia is also used to describe this condition, as seen in 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Treatment Options
- Megestrol acetate is a progestational drug that has been used to stimulate appetite and improve anorexia/cachexia in patients with advanced cancers, as discussed in 4, 5, and 7.
- Mirtazapine has also been studied as a potential treatment for anorexia-cachexia in advanced cancer patients, as seen in 6.
- Dronabinol has been compared to megestrol acetate for palliating cancer-associated anorexia, as described in 7.