Cachexia, also know as wasting syndrome, results in a significant loss of appetite accompanied by loss of weight, atrophy of the muscles, weakness, and oftentimes fatigue in someone not trying to lose weight.
Patients weakened by cachexia have a substantially increased risk of death from their underlying condition. Patients exhibiting signs of cachexia generally lead physicians to seek the cause, if the underlying disease or condition has not yet been diagnosed. Physicians will likely consider a host of underlying reasons such as: cancer, type 1 diabetes, pulmonary disease, multiple sclerosis, AIDS, congestive heart failure, anorexia nervosa, ill-intended medical reaction, rheumatoid arthritis, and others.
Patients in advanced stages of cancer, along with other progressive illnesses such as chronic kidney disease, AIDS, dementia, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and cystic fibrosis are susceptible to cachexia.
The percentage of patients across diseases that suffer from cachexia varies, depending upon what article or report you are reading. Cancer patients suffering from cachexia range anywhere from 30-50% depending on the type of cancer. Patients with certain forms of cancer like pancreatic cancer and upper gastrointestinal have the highest frequency of cachexia. In terminal patients, that number rises to 80%.
Sign up for updates on potential trials for Cachexia using our website and we will keep in contact with trials and studies that come up for this condition.
Source: Wikipedia