Sudden Weight Loss in Cancer

As one of the few major diseases left that medical science has been unable to conquer, cancer poses one of the largest threats to your longevity. Thus, it would behoove you to understand as much as possible about this enemy so you can be proactive in the unfortunate event that you begin to develop the malady. Many cancers are characterized by their triggering of a sudden weight loss among sufferers, making unexplained weight loss a good reason to schedule a doctor's appointment.

Cancer

Cancer is the general term used to describe a condition whereby abnormal cells in the body are left alone and not eradicated by the immune system. This allows them to multiply out of control, which eventually leads to the death of the host. Cancer can originate in most any organ or area of the body, and is so named based on the specific point of origin. For example, cancer that begins in the liver is aptly called liver cancer.

Cancer Symptoms

While cancer symptoms often vary widely depending on the type of cancer, there are certain generalized indicators common to most of them. These include, but are not limited to, fevers, fatigue, chills, reduction in appetite, general feelings of malaise, sweating throughout the night and inexplicable weight loss. Unfortunately, most of these common symptoms are found with any number of other conditions, so medical attention is required for a proper diagnosis.

Weight Loss

Any unplanned or inexplicable weight loss of 10 pounds or more should be seen as a possible red flag, signaling the need to make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible, according to the American Cancer Society. While weight loss occurs to some extent with most types of cancer, it occurs most frequently with cancers of the stomach, lungs, esophagus and pancreas.

Weight Loss Causes

Cancer-related weight loss occurs for one of two reasons. First, it results from other symptoms of the cancer, such as a loss of appetite. Unless you are closely tracking your daily caloric intake, you might not notice when your food consumption drops until you step on the scale and are several pounds lighter. Second, weight loss can be caused by cachexia, which is a wasting syndrome of cancer that impairs the body's ability to absorb nutrients.

Considerations

Keeping your weight up is one of the foremost goals when combatting cancer, so proper nutrition is paramount. If you are suffering from cachexia, understand that you will have to increase your overall intake of nutrients to allow your body the best possible chance of absorbing as much as it needs. Continuum Cancer Centers of New York urges you to stick to a well-balanced nutritional plan in general, but if you need to indulge in ice cream or other unhealthy treats to keep your daily caloric intake up, so be it.