Cachexia Radiation

Cachexia during radiation therapy

Cachexia is a sudden loss of body weight, accompanied by severe weakness and often tissue wasting. This syndrome can develop in patients at any stage of cancer, but more often it occurs after local radiation treatment of tumors of the soft tissues of the head and neck, breast and lungs. Long-term general or local irradiation of the pelvic organs can also lead to weight loss in the patient. In addition, cachexia syndrome may be associated with pre-radiation load on the patient’s body and treatment of concomitant diseases.

Patients note poor health and weakness, which intensify during a radiation therapy session, usually 3-4 days from the start of treatment. Some patients may complain of sleep disturbances, pain,