If your concerned about weight loss and you should be!

[RandyW]

I myself have done some research in the past on this topis and it affects everyone fighting this disease. It is also called the wasting disease because that is what happens to you! You start losing appetite and then comes serious weight loss.

The author of this article gets back to this topic for me now!!

I explored the research on the use of fish oils to minimize the loss of muscle mass during chemotherapy. Although there are a number of studies suggesting that it can prevent the weight loss often associated with chemotherapy, most studies do not show a definitive benefit. However, one recent study did find a strong, positive relationship with fish oil and the prevention of weight loss in lung cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.

Fish oil contains two important omega-3 oils, docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentanic acid. DHA is an important fat because it comprises 40 percent of all the polyunsaturated fatty acids in the brain and, by weight, is 50 percent of nerve membrane. EPA is essential because it is a precursor molecule for many anti-inflammatory compounds as well as a precursor for DHA. Humans cannot synthesize either EPA or DHA very efficiently and these oils must be obtained through diet — either eating fish or taking fish oil supplements.

Weight loss is a common side effect of chemotherapy in patients with progressive cancer. This weight loss can negatively impact the patient's ability to continue with chemotherapy and may decrease survival. In a number of studies, incorporating fish oil containing DHA and EPA into the diet have suggested an increase in survival probably through reduced weight loss and protein wasting. However, three large clinical trials failed to demonstrate a clear benefit of fish oil preserving body weight in cancer patients. Confounding factors in these studies included uncertain compliance and that fish oil supplementation was started late in therapy, after the patients were already debilitated.

One recent study published in the medical journal Cancer introduced EPA at the beginning of chemotherapy. In this study, 104 participants either took EPA or a placebo before starting chemotherapy. Chemotherapy and the study lasted about 10 weeks. The authors also followed weight, muscle mass and blood levels of omega-3 fats to see if higher blood levels correlated with better muscle preservation. This is something that the other studies had not done. What they found was that those participants who took fish oil did not lose as much muscle as those participants not taking fish oil. Indeed, there was a strong, inverse relationship between the amount of omega-3 fats in the blood and muscle wasting. Essentially, more fish oil meant less weight loss.

There are few side effects to fish oil supplementation, mostly related to the stomach. There is some concern about fish oil supplements containing mercury and pesticides. Good fish oils undergo a purification process called molecular distillation, essentially removing contaminants. These manufacturers will label their fish oil as “molecularly distilled.” There is also some concern about fish oil and an increased risk of bleeding. This may not be a real concern unless taking more than 5,000 milligrams of fish oil per day.

• Patrick B. Massey, M.D., Ph.D is medical director for complementary and alternative medicine for the Alexian Brothers Hospital Network. His website is http://www.alt-med.org.

[RandyW]

weight loss can be good if done in mnoderation though. you lose too much too fast as a result of Cachexia nd that is muscle loss which can not be regained. cachexia tends to be more end of stage problem I think in most cases. It can be hard to fight..

[Alessandro]

Because being overweight is one of the most common diseases nowadays what you have said is something which makes sense completely.

I am surprised to see stuff like that i mean this thread contain stuff which is new for me.

[RandyW]

obesity weight loss and cachexia are two different ball games...usually you lose muscle mass from being bed ridden and not being able to exercise...

if you losr weight the right way a couple of pounds a week is not bad... but with cachexia it is much worse... when my wife passed away I was shocked at how I could touch my first finger and my thumb around her wrist... she was so thin and was never like that... she was in hospital for about 4 days prior to passing and not able to walk except to use the bathroom.. to weak...