Resultado da Busca
26 de jun. de 2015 · Most cancer patients lose weight during treatment, though certain therapies — particularly those for hormone-driven malignancies such as breast and prostate cancers — can trigger weight gain. Getting back to a “normal” diet after treatment is completed poses its own challenges.
- Overview
- Unexplained rapid weight loss
- Weight loss from cancer treatment
- Other reasons for unintentional weight loss
- Medication for weight loss
- Takeaway
For many people, weight loss is the first visible sign of cancer.
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology:
•When first diagnosed with cancer, about 40 percent of people report an unexplained weight loss.
•Up to 80 percent of people with advanced cancer undergo weight loss and wasting. Wasting, also known as cachexia, is a combination of weight and muscle loss.
Unexplained rapid weight loss can be the sign of cancer or other health problems. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you see your doctor if you lose more than 5 percent of your total body weight in six months to a year. To put this into perspective: If you weigh 160 pounds, 5 percent of your body weight is 8 pounds.
According to the American Cancer Society, an unexplained weight loss of 10 pounds or more could be the first sign of cancer. The types of cancer often identified with this type of weight loss include cancers of the:
•pancreas
•esophagus
•stomach
•lung
Cancer treatments can also lead to weight loss. Radiation and chemotherapy commonly cause a decrease in appetite. Weight loss can also be attributable to radiation and chemotherapy side effects that discourage eating, such as:
•mouth sores
•nausea
•vomiting
Unintentional weight loss, according to the NHS, can be attributed to a number of causes other than cancer including:
•stress from an event such as a divorce, a job change, or a death of a friend or family member
•eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia
•overactive thyroid
•infection such as tuberculosis, gastroenteritis, HIV/AIDS
•depression
Depending on your specific situation, your doctor might recommend curbing weight loss with medication such as:
•Progesterone hormone such as Megestrol acetate (Pallace, Ovaban)
•Steroids such as Pancreatic enzyme (lipase), Metoclopramide (Reglan) or Dronabinol (Marinol)
Some cancer patients who have difficulty swallowing or chewing are given intravenous (IV) nutrient therapy. People with esophageal or head and neck cancers often have difficulties eating or drinking.
Rapid, unexplained weight loss may an indication of cancer. It can also be a side effect of cancer treatment.
If you’re diagnosed with cancer, good nutrition is important for your recovery. If your calorie intake is too low, you not only lose weight, but also lower your ability to physically and mentally cope with your treatment.
Weight loss is common in people with cancer. It might be one of the reasons why you first go to the doctor. There are several causes of weight loss and your doctor can treat many of these. Losing weight is often associated with a loss of appetite. But this is not the only cause.
What are the most common causes of involuntary weight loss in cancer patients? The simplest answer is “decreased caloric intake.” They just aren’t eating as much. And when you don’t take in enough calories for your body to maintain itself, weight loss is the result.
Managing Physical Side Effects > Weight Loss. Request Permissions. Weight Loss. Approved by the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 04/2020. Weight loss is common among people with cancer. It may be the first visible sign of the disease. In fact, 40% of people say they had unexplained weight loss when they were first diagnosed with cancer.
10 de fev. de 2021 · Weight loss usually requires more than willpower. That’s because adjusting what you eat and how much you exercise are big lifestyle changes. Your diet and physical activity levels are the result of habits built up over your lifetime. To change them, you’ll need a strategy.
How to Lose Weight After Cancer Treatment. Maintaining a healthy weight is one of the most important things you can do both to help reduce your chance of developing cancer and to help promote cancer survivorship. It’s not uncommon, however, to gain weight during or after cancer treatment.
