PATHOGENETIC ASPECTS OF CANCER ANOREXIA

Anorexia and malnutrition are the physiological response of the body to the development of cancer (i.e. activation of the immune system, increased energy consumption...). Initially, it is believed that all these changes help the body fight tumor growth. In this context, the effectiveness of anorexia treatment is related to several mechanisms. Firstly, the patient's body is not activated and is not in search of food and thus saves energy, it also reduces the heat loss that can occur due to increased convection. The stored temperature in this case is used by the body to fight the rapid growth of cancer. Second, eating less during illness also reduces the intake of nutrients needed by cancer cells, as well as reducing the energy intake needed for digestion. This effect of early anorexia is supported by a classic study in which force-feeding infected experimental mice resulted in increased mortality (1). However, despite the benefits of early anorexia, prolonged anorexia compromises the body's defenses and makes recovery more difficult.

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