This slight distinction is not negligible. As we will see, in fact, it has been shown that the action of advanced cancer can directly influence the onset of neoplastic cachexia.
What is often overlooked, however, is that other variables related to the situation (such as vomiting and the change in the sense of taste induced by chemotherapy, or the lack of appetite attributable to a depressive syndrome) can greatly aggravate the situation.
Cancer cachexia can be classified according to the degree of severity into:
- Pre-cachexia;
- Cachexia proper;
- Refractory cachexia - severe.
We will not go into detail on life expectancy, but it is logical that the cachectic degree is closely related.
Other causes of cachexia
In itself, in addition to the clinical picture due to oncological disease, cachexia can have many different primary causes: hormonal imbalances, gadolinium mercury poisoning, familial amyloid polyneuropathy, tuberculosis, heart failure, multiple sclerosis, COPD, severe Alzheimer's disease, AIDS.
