Attenuating Cancer Cachexia-Prolonging Life

Abstract

Death by cancer cachexia is dependent on the time allotted to cancer to cause muscle and fat wasting. If clinicians, nurses, researchers can prolong the life of a cancer patient other therapeutic interventions such as radiation and chemotherapy may be given the time to work and rid the cancer patient of tumors and save lives. Three areas by which cancer induces cachexia is through impaired insulin-like growth factor signaling, elevations in the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6 and subsequent reductions in muscle protein synthesis and increases in muscle protein degradation. Therefore, it is important to augment the IGF-1 signaling, block TNF-α and IL-6 in cancer cachexia and in other ways augment muscle protein synthesis or decrease muscle protein degradation. Ghrelin like growth hormone secretagogues, monoclonal antibodies to TNF-α and IL-6, testosterone, and anabolic steroids, the beta 2 agonist albuterol, resistance exercise, and creatine monohydrate (with resistance exercise) are beneficial in increasing muscle protein synthesis and/or reducing muscle protein breakdown. With these muscle augmenting agents/interventions, the duration that a cancer patient lives is prolonged so that radiation and chemotherapy as well as emerging technologies can rid the cancer patient of cancer and save lives.