Abstract
Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial disorder characterized by malnutrition associated to chronic disease with loss of body weight with specific losses of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Patients presents with elevated energy expenditure, excess catabolism, lipolysis, proteolysis, insulin resistance, less glucose uptake and reduced appetite secondary metabolic changes and inflammation due to cytokines released by tumor cells Cachexia leads to progressive functional impairment, treatment related complications, poor quality of life and more mortality. It has been estimated that up to 10-20% cancer patients die due to consequences of malnutrition rather than for the tumor itself. Despite the severity of this condition, cancer cachexia remains underdiagnosed and undertreated, and most patients don’t have a nutritional monitoring. Generally, they are forwarded to a professional nutrition specialist in more advanced stages of diseases or refractory cachexia. Unfortunately, at this moment the reversal of muscle waist and all symptoms related to cachexia are irreversible. Therefore, is fundamental to identify early and manage patients in stages as pre cachexia and cachexia with aim of avoid muscle loss, attenuate symptoms related to cachexia and therefore bring better quality of life and oncologic treatment results. In this review, we have the intention to outline the drug therapies for cancer cachexia based on evidence and what in fact can show better results in the management of this complex multifactorial syndrome.