This may also help you keep your strength up, which can help you finish your full course of treatment. One cause is the cancer itself. For example, in an effort to fight the cancer, the body produces substances called cytokines. These substances can lead to weight loss, muscle loss, and a decrease in appetite.
Weight loss and cancer
Another common cause is the treatments for cancer. Radiation and chemotherapy often cause a decrease in appetite. They can also lead to side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and mouth sores , which can affect your ability to eat normally, further contributing to weight and muscle loss. To help manage these symptoms, your health care team may prescribe medicines like anti-nausea medications and steroid medications.
These drugs can increase appetite for some people and may help to prevent weight and muscle loss, but they do not build up lost muscle tissue. Keep in mind that appetite and energy levels may be affected by other treatable conditions, such as pain , anxiety or depression. Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any of these concerns. Along with taking any medicines your doctor prescribes, there are many things you can do to help your body stay strong.
Good, balanced nutrition and proper hydration are very important:. Beef, pork, poultry, tofu and soy nuts are excellent sources of protein. So are dairy products — try some Greek yogurt, which is higher in protein than regular yogurt. A systematic search of the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Medline and British Nursing Index databases was conducted using the following keywords and phrases: cancer, carcinoma, cachexia, weight loss, quality of life, patient experience, patient attitude and patient perceptions.
Thirty-seven research articles, relevant to the topic under investigation, were identified. Abstracts were read to identify those articles most relevant to the topic area. Eight articles were critically appraised using a validated critical appraisal framework Caldwell et al, Of these, three used qualitative research methods Stamataki et al, ; McClement and Harlos, ; Reid et al, ; three used a mixed-method approach Hopkinson, ; Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a ; and two used quantitative methods Rhondali et al, ; Hopkinson et al, b.
Findings were analysed using a thematic-analysis approach Braun and Clarke, , with themes grouped into five categories:. Personal response to weight loss is generally referred to as body image, which is a psychological construct that defines how individuals see their body McClement and Harlos, Body image is inextricably linked to feelings about the self. The self is conceptualised as the relationship between two states: the actual self-state and the ideal self-state. Individuals are motivated to match these two self-states.
When a discrepancy occurs, such as in cancer cachexia, this results in negative emotional and behavioural consequences; for example, it can affect relationships, social functioning and routines White, Five articles explored body image Rhondali et al, ; Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; McClement and Harlos, ; Hopkinson et al, a , with findings including both negative and positive responses.
Two qualitative studies Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a showed that some patients were shocked by rapid changes in their appearance and this could result in loss of identity. However, some patients were less concerned about changes in their appearance, as they had expected to lose weight as a result of their cancer diagnosis Stamataki et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a.
Changes in weight
As the illness progressed, patients became more tired as a result of weight loss Stamataki et al, , which often restricted their activity Stamataki et al, ; Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a. They complained that weight loss led to reduced mobility and increased dependency on others when performing day-to-day activities Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a , and was troubling because it was accompanied by weakness, leading to loss of independence Hopkinson et al, a.
Some patients noted that they needed help to be able to go out and had no strength at all Hopkinson et al, a.
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Strasser et al also reported that patients experienced progressive physical weakness when they experienced weight loss. However, McClement and Harlos found that a number of patients and their families expected a reduction in food and oral intake as a normal symptom of advanced cancer. Other studies, such as those by Reid et al and Hopkinson , found that patients tended to modify their intake of food to include only enough calories to maintain their weight.
Controlling Weight Loss - Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
Weight loss among patients with cancer often resulted in anxiety, depression, distress, worry, frustration and guilt Rhondali et al, ; Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; Hopkinson, ; Strasser et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a; Hopkinson et al, b. Hopkinson et al b also found that in a survey of advanced cancer patients, concerns about weight loss and loss of appetite were common. Patients found these cancer-related symptoms to be both troublesome and distressing Hopkinson et al, b.
When weight loss became visible to patients, the outcomes often included increased anxiety, distress and uncertainty Stamataki et al, ; Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a. Participants in two studies believed weight loss signified that the disease had taken control of their bodies, as well as the limitations of their ability to control the illness Reid et al, ; Hopkinson et al, a ; it increased their awareness that death was imminent Hopkinson et al, a.
Stamataki et al , Reid et al , McClement and Harlos and Hopkinson et al a all identified that patients tended to avoid social situations when they experienced weight loss. Patients perceived there to be a stigma around weight loss, which reduced their desire to socialise with others Stamataki et al, They reported being unsure of the response they might receive from others about their weight loss Reid et al, Patients often became reclusive, reluctant to socialise outside of their immediate family, and even requested that relatives prevent others from visiting them McClement and Harlos, Patient concerns about weight loss were also due to the embarrassment they felt because their clothes no longer fitted them; they were self-conscious Stamataki et al, However, not all patients intentionally avoided friends due to weight loss.
As previously mentioned, the physical effects of weight loss often restricted their social activities.
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Some patients found it impossible to leave their house unaccompanied, without compromising their safety, which resulted in loss of independence and progressive isolation Hopkinson et al, a. The literature review highlighted issues associated with cancer-related weight loss that are often encountered by patients. The findings were supported by others suggesting that those with advance terminal illness often experience loss of hope and meaning in their lives Lloyd-Williams et al, Both patients and their families often report frustration with the inadequate and inappropriate response that they receive from health professionals to this distressing condition Porter et al, There is sometimes an attitude of inevitability among nurses concerning this side-effect of cancer, and a belief little can be done Hopkinson et al, a.
Cancer-associated weight loss has a considerable social, psychological and physical impact on patient experience, and affects quality of life.
Weight Loss as a Symptom of Cancer
However, strategies can be put in place by health professionals to mitigate the distressing effects. This is particularly pertinent given that many patients with cancer are surviving for longer. Journal of Psychosomatic Research; 2, Braun V, Clarke V Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology; 3: 2, Caldwell K et al Developing a framework for critiquing health research. Journal of Health, Social and Environmental Issues; 6: 1, Del Ferraro C et al Management of anorexia-cachexia in late-stage lung cancer patients.
Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing; 6, Dewys WD et al Prognostic effect of weight loss prior to chemotherapy in cancer patients. Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group. American Journal of Medicine; 4, Donnelly S et al The symptoms of advanced cancer: identification of clinical and research priorities by assessment of prevalence and severity. Journal of Palliative Care; , Holder H Nursing management of nutrition in cancer and palliative care. British Journal of Nursing; 11, Hopkinson J et al a Exploring the experience of weight loss in people with advanced cancer.
Journal of Advance Nursing; 3, Hopkinson J et al b The prevalence of concern about weight loss and chance in eating habits in people with advance cancer. Journal of Pain and Symptom Management; 4,