Conceptual distinction between sarcopenia and cachexia in cancer patients
Zhang Fengmin,Wu Haofan,Zhuang Chengle
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery / Colorectal Cancer Center Shanghai Tenth People ' s Hospital School of Medicine Tongji
University Shanghai 200072 China
Abstract：Sarcopenia is a progressive skeletal muscle disease characterized by a pathological decrease in muscle mass and
function and is common in the elderly. Most cancer patients are elderly and patients may already have sarcopenia before the onset of
cancer. Additionally cancer promotes muscle aging making cancer patients more susceptible to sarcopenia. Cachexia another
common multifactorial syndrome in cancer patients manifests as anorexia involuntary weight loss and persistent skeletal muscle
wasting which cannot be fully reversed by conventional nutritional therapy and may eventually lead to progressive functional
impairment. Sarcopenia and cachexia share many similarities in their causes and characteristics. For example loss of muscle mass is a
common diagnostic factor in both syndromes thus sarcopenia and cachexia are often referred to as each other in cancer patients.
Therefore it is of great significance to elaborate on their characteristics and differences in cancer patients. Here we provide a
comprehensive comparison of sarcopenia and cachexia in cancer patients elucidate the similarities and differences between the two
diseases and provide evidence-based strategies for the management of cancer patients with sarcopenia.
