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Nutritional therapy for cancer cachexia

R F Grimble

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Professor R F Grimble, Institute of Human Nutrition, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton SO16 7PX, UK;
rfg1@soton.ac.uk

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In cancers where high inflammatory stress is usual, protein rich supplements containing n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and high levels of antioxidant vitamins can reverse severe weight loss

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Keywords: cachexia; pancreatic cancer; quality of life; eicosapentaenoic acid; n-3 fatty acids; nutritional support; weight; lean body mass; cytokines; proteolysis inducing factor

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The process of inflammation has a paradoxical effect. This is mostly due to the metabolic responses triggered by the release of the three proinflammatory cytokines, interleukin 1ß (IL-1ß), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-), and interleukin 6 (IL-6). As an integral part of the body’s response to infection and injury, these mediators release substrate, from host tissues, to support T and B lymphocyte activity, create a hostile environment for invading pathogens, via a raised body temperature and oxidant production, and initiate downregulation of the process once invasion has been defeated.¹ All of these metabolic effects come at considerable cost to the host, as witnessed by the extensive tissue depletion, anorexia, and anaemia seen in severely infected and injured patients.² However, the cost is of great biological value if recovery from infection and injury are achieved. The inflammatory process contains elements which inherently upregulate the response. Oxidants will increase proinflammatory cytokine . . . [Full text of this article]

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Relevant Article

Effect of a protein and energy dense n-3 fatty acid enriched oral supplement on loss of weight and lean tissue in cancer cachexia: a randomised double blind trial

K C H Fearon, M F von Meyenfeldt, A G W Moses, R van Geenen, A Roy, D J Gouma, A Giacosa, A Van Gossum, J Bauer, M D Barber, N K Aaronson, A C Voss, and M J Tisdale
Gut 2003 52: 1479-1486. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

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