Tumor Anorexia: Causes, Assessment, Treatment

The major cause of death in patients with cancer is the generalized body wasting known as cancer cachexia (Lawson et al. 1982; S. Warren 1932). This syndrome is characterized by a mixture of metabolic abnormalities which lead to weight loss through accelerated wasting of host tissue mass together with failure of adequate nutrient intake (Kern and Norton 1988).