Psychosocial Effects of Cancer Cachexia: A Systematic Literature Search and Qualitative Analysis

Abstract

The concept of psychosocial effects in cancer cachexia has the potential to sensitize health care professionals to cachexia-related problems and inform their clinical management of the condition.

Dietary treatment of weight loss in patients with advanced cancer and cachexia: A systematic literature review

“…If the patient has entered a stage of refractory cachexia, the response to dietary treatment is no longer anticipated due to very advanced or rapidly progressive cancer unresponsive to anti-cancer therapy [2]. Even if nutritional or dietary treatment do not influence weight loss or survival it may be highly significant when it comes to eating-and weight loss-related distress, relief of certain symptoms, quality of life and social meaningfulness for the patients [6,7].…”

The experience of weight loss and its associated burden in patients with non‐small cell lung cancer: results of an online survey

“…A concern about one's look to family and friends was an additional source of worry. Oberholzer and colleagues also identified that some patients reported being embarrassed, not only because they worried about looking unhealthy, but because it resulted in increased pressure and reprimanding from their family to improve their nutritional intake when weight maintenance was not achieved [25]. In this study, patients with weight loss also reported being worried about the associated loss of energy.…”

“…A recent systematic literature review led by Oberholzer and colleagues identified the most prevalent psychosocial impacts of cancer cachexia, that resulted in sadness, disappointment, bewilderment, confusion, bother, concern, dissatisfaction, feeling upset, anger, frustration, guilt, desperation, anguish, fear, anxiety, and existential distress [25].…”

“…The systematic literature review by Oberholzer and colleagues also identifies this lack of intervention as a main issue identified by patients and caregivers. "Patients expressed their desire for weight loss to be acknowledged by health care professionals and reported an overall lack of attention to nutritional problems" [25]. As a consequence, patients' and carers' confidence in health care practitioners decreased as they felt unsupported and did not know how to manage or prevent further weight loss.…”

A Feasibility Study to Investigate the Effect of Nutritional Support for Advanced Cancer Patients in an Inpatient Hospice in Japan

“…[1][2][3] Involuntary weight loss, a main symptom of cancer cachexia, often follows anorexia and declining food intake, and thus these are causes of distress for patients. [1][2][3] Involuntary weight loss links to the deterioration of performance status, quality of life (QoL), nutritional status, treatment outcomes, and survival in advanced cancer patients.…”