TY - JOUR
T1 - Pharmacological options for advanced cancer patients with loss of appetite and weight
AU - Behl, Deepti
AU - Jatoi, Aminah
PY - 2007/6
Y1 - 2007/6
N2 - The majority of patients with advanced cancer suffers from loss of appetite and loss of weight at some point during their disease course. This sign and this sympton herald an early demise. However, no therapeutic intervention, apart from effective antineoplastic therapy, has been able to reverse this syndrome totally, and, in turn, to reverse this prognostic effect. Most clinical trials have focused largely on palliating symptoms, and, to this end, progestational agents and corticosteroids have proven to be the most effective in terms of improving appetite. This article reviews data to support the use of these agents, discusses the findings of other more recent studies in this field and provides an overview of promising strategies that merit further investigation.
AB - The majority of patients with advanced cancer suffers from loss of appetite and loss of weight at some point during their disease course. This sign and this sympton herald an early demise. However, no therapeutic intervention, apart from effective antineoplastic therapy, has been able to reverse this syndrome totally, and, in turn, to reverse this prognostic effect. Most clinical trials have focused largely on palliating symptoms, and, to this end, progestational agents and corticosteroids have proven to be the most effective in terms of improving appetite. This article reviews data to support the use of these agents, discusses the findings of other more recent studies in this field and provides an overview of promising strategies that merit further investigation.
KW - Anorexia
KW - Appetite
KW - Cancer
KW - Weight loss
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=34250687537&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=34250687537&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1517/14656566.8.8.1085
DO - 10.1517/14656566.8.8.1085
M3 - Review article
C2 - 17516872
AN - SCOPUS:34250687537
SN - 1465-6566
VL - 8
SP - 1085
EP - 1090
JO - Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
JF - Expert Opinion on Pharmacotherapy
IS - 8
ER -