Cancer Cachexia: Diagnosis and assessment

Cancer Cachexia is a syndrome in which patients experience an unintended weight loss, gradual muscle loss, and an appetite loss which is commonly present in around 50% of patients with level 2 cancer. It is also called Cancer Anorexia Cachexia Syndrome which means that the symptoms caused by cancer substances or substances which the body generated by reacting to cancer. Also, Cachexia not only deteriorates the life of the cancer people but also its gatecrashes with life quality. It also worsens cancer fatigue is the most exasperating symptom of cancer.

The symptoms of Cachexia usually observed lately in the cancer journey, it has to be learned that the leading process of muscle wasting starts very early just after a cancer diagnosis. Moreover, about cachexia diagnosed, can be explained as:

• Spoliation of the nutritional condition is frequently observed in the clinical course of acute and chronic diseases and contributes to an ill conclusion.
• In different clinical environments, muscle wasting has been predicting complications.
• With the lack of a unifying interpretation of cachexia, force weight loss and an increase in the inflammatory response are the key factors for the diagnosis of cachexia.
• Cachexia is a disease that has constant signs and symptoms ranging from mild metabolic disturbances to total nutritional devastation.
• Change in appetite increased inflammatory response in your body, metabolic disturbances and minimize the weight loss allows the diagnosis of pre-cachexia.

A separate cancer staging score is made for people who have advanced cancer. So, we can separate cachexia into three major stages. Following are the three components:

• Weight loss and muscle loss in the past 6 months (score 0 - 3)
• Loss of appetite and bad nutrition diet (score 0 - 2)
• Lab tests abnormally (score 0 - 2)

Many definitions of cachexia exist, generating different assessment criteria. A prudent study, with scrutiny, found out that the risk factor and symptoms which impact caloric intake as well as an introspective the examination which evaluates evidence of adipose tissue loss, wasting of muscles, edema, and functional status which is the initial assessment for cancer cachexia victims. Integrating timely screening for weight loss and malnutrition is important in cancer patients. Components of screening in cancer patients also include assessments of the following:

• User caloric intake Measurements and QOL: During Cachexia you almost lose 5% of your body weight and muscle mass to keep track of your food intake you need to make a food diary which can help you in preventing Cachexia. But you also know that the right amount of calorie intake alone cannot help from malnutrition caused by Cachexia.
• Risk factors and symptoms impacting weight loss development: BMI (Body Mass Index) not only describes the bodyweight but also gives information about healthy weight. So, we can calculate BMI using the weight and height of the person. Although BMI represents the healthy weight of the person and it cannot identify the ratio of muscle mass and fat so we cannot use it alone to check Cachexia.
• Changes in weight and body composition: Change in body configuration can also help in determining the ratio of body fat to lean muscle mass. Tests include bioimpedance and skin folds.