Abstract

Malnutrition is common in cancer patients and can occur throughout a patient’s disease course. The contributors to the clinical syndrome of cancer cachexia are often multifactorial, and produced by the cancer and associated pro-inflammatory response. Google scholar and PubMed database searches were performed to retrieve and study related research articles. In cancer patient’s malnutrition negatively affects the effect of anti-cancer therapies, increases side effects and impairs the quality of life (QOL) of cancer patients. Hence there is a need of early identification of malnutrition using screening tools and cachexia to limit its negative consequences on the cancer patients and likely improve overall prognosis of disease.

Keywords

malnutrition, cancer, cachexia, prognosis, quality of life