ABSTRACT
Malnutrition is so commonly associated with neoplastic disease as to be considered a part of the overall malignant process. Any discussion of nutrition and cancer focuses on the concept of cancer cachexia. Cachexia is a condition of generalized wasting and loss of body mass associated with chronic disease and is often one of the most notable and devastating symptoms of malignant disease. The term cancer cachexia implies a complex metabolic syndrome, which, despite years of investigation, remains poorly understood and refractory to effective therapy other than complete ablation of the underlying malignant tumor.
