- Cachexia is a cancer-linked syndrome causing reduced appetite, muscle wasting, and fatigue, affecting 50–80% of people with cancer depending on tumor type and stage.
- It is more than a quality-of-life issue; it impairs treatment tolerance, increases mortality, and accounts for 20–30% of cancer-associated deaths.
- Historically overlooked, cachexia is now recognized as a multi-systemic, whole-body syndrome involving organ crosstalk (e.g., liver, bone, brain) and metabolic dysfunction, not just simple malnutrition.
- The brain plays a key role in integrating inflammatory and hormonal signals, contributing to both physical and psychological symptoms like low motivation.
- Hormones like GDF15, produced by tumors and immune cells, drive appetite loss and cachexia; blocking GDF15 reduces symptoms in mice.
- Recent large-scale initiatives (e.g., CANCAN) and pharmaceutical trials (e.g., Pfizer) are advancing research and potential treatments for cachexia.