Cancer cachexia
### What you need to know Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome characterised by tissue loss (fat, cardiac muscle, and skeletal muscle), decreased appetite (anorexia), fatigue, and reduced activity in patients with cancer (fig 1).1 It cannot be fully reversed with nutritional support alone and is caused by inflammation and metabolic dysfunction driven by the interaction between tumour and patient. Consequences include reduced efficacy of cancer treatment, poorer quality of life, and reduced survival.2 This article provides an update on cancer cachexia for healthcare professionals drawing on contemporary research and guidelines developed by the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) and the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Fig 1 Characteristics of cancer cachexia ### What is controversial about cancer cachexia? The definition of cancer cachexia remains controversial. The role of inflammation is recognised as a key component; however, some argue that loss of skeletal m