Weight Gain Linked to Cancer Survival in Men and Women
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Cancer cachexia is a syndrome of weight loss that frequently occurs during cancer treatment. Consequences can include skeletal muscle loss, fatigue, functional impairment, worse quality of life, and worse survival. On the other hand, weight gain during cancer treatment has been tied to better survival. A new study shows that, among patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), weight gain over the course of treatment with standard of care chemotherapy was associated with improved survival in both men and women. Few studies have examined the relationship between weight gain and outcomes by sex.
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@madhuri The finding that weight gain occurred in subsets of males and females is a new observation. The fact that weight gain occurs in cancer patients during anticancer treatment could confound results of clinical [trials] evaluating novel anticachexia treatments. Simultaneously studying longitudinal body weights and serum and cellular biomarkers in cancer patients might provide insights into mechanisms involved in cachexia. Increased understanding of mechanisms driving cachexia could lead to new therapeutic strategies