Onkológia 3/2013

Cancer cachexia – benefits and risks of nutritional support in cancer cachexia in the light of evidence-based medicine

Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome, defined by progressive muscle wasting and leads to functional impairment of the organism. Cachexia incidence significantly correlates with unfavorable prognosis. It is unclear, however, whether influencing the cancer cachexia (eg, by increased dietary intake of nutritional support) could lead to improved patient’s prognosis. In this article we focused on the benefits and risks of nutritional support in cancer cachexia in the light of evidence-based medicine.

Keywords: cancer cachexia treatment, nutritional support, polyunsaturated fatty acids.