Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 16, 2025

The Colon-26 Carcinoma Tumor-bearing Mouse as a Model for the Study of Cancer Cachexia
Published on: November 30, 2016
Appetite problem in cancer patients: Pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment
Timotius Ivan Hariyanto1, Andree Kurniawan2
1Faculty of Medicine, Pelita Harapan University, Boulevard Jendral Sudirman street, Karawaci, Tangerang, Banten 15811, Indonesia.
Aim:
This study aims to review the current evidence regarding appetite problem in cancer patients, mainly focusing on pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.
Introduction:
Anorexia is the common symptom of malnutrition in cancer patients. Recently, the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism of the appetite problem in cancer patients has been increasing that give impact to rigorous research to find the therapies for improving appetite in cancer patients.
Discussion:
The development of anorexia in cancer patients is a complex process that involves many cytokines, receptors, chemical mediators/substances, hormones, and peptides. Growth and differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) and toll-like receptor (TLR-4) have recently been found to be implicated in the pathogenesis of anorexia. To help diagnose the appetite problem in cancer patients, several questionnaires can be used, starting from well-known questionnaires such as Functional Assessment of Anorexia Cachexia Therapy (FAACT), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC-QLQ30). Several drugs with different mechanisms of action have been studied to help in improving appetite in cancer patients. New repurposed agents such as anamorelin, mirtazapine, thalidomide, and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) have shown a beneficial effect in improving appetite and quality of life in cancer patients, however more phase 3 clinical trial studies is still needed.
Conclusion:
The pathophysiology of appetite problems in cancer patients is a complex process that involves many factors. Several drugs that target those factors have been studied, however more phase 3 clinical trial studies are needed to confirm the findings from previous studies.
More Related Videos
05:56Acupoint Application Combined with Acupressure as an Adjunctive Therapy for Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting
Published on: June 21, 2024
10:28Gene Regulation and Targeted Therapy in Gastric Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis: Radiological Findings from Dual Energy CT and PET/CT
Published on: January 22, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Cancer Survival Analysis
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Taste Buds and Receptors
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Nursing Ethical Principles II
Consider the following scenario, which illustrates how these principles are applied in the care of Mr. John, a fifty-year-old teacher diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer.
Initially, Mr. John's...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...