QJM Advance Access originally published online on October 7, 2005
QJM 2005 98(11):779-788; doi:10.1093/qjmed/hci127
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Review |
Cancer cachexia
From the 1Division of Infection, Inflammation and Repair, University of Southampton School of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, and 2Department of Gastroenterology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth, UK
Address correspondence to Dr J.N. Gordon, Mailpoint 813, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton SO16 6YD. email: j.gordon{at}soton.ac.uk
Cancer cachexia is a severe debilitating disorder for which there are currently few therapeutic options. It is driven by the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cachectic factors by both host and tumour. Over the past few years, basic science advances have begun to reveal the breadth and complexity of the immunological mechanisms involved, and in the process have uncovered some novel potential therapeutic targets. The effectiveness of thalidomide and eicosapentaenoic acid at attenuating weight loss in clinical trials also provides a further rationale for modulating the immune response. We are now entering an exciting period in cachexia research, and it is likely that the next few years will see effective new biological therapies reach clinical practice.