Cancer Cachexia in Clinical Practice: A Review of Treatment Barriers Among Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Cancer cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome that affects patients’ quality of life and survival. It accounts for over 20% of cancer deaths. Despite its high incidence, there is no evidence-based standard of care for managing it. Early detection and management require preventative measures and multimodal therapy.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to conduct an in-depth review of the literature on cancer cachexia and its barriers for effective assessment and management.

Methods: The literature review was conducted through various electronic databases to identify studies published on cancer cachexia and its barriers for effective assessment and management of cancer cachexia.

Results: The review indicated that barriers for effective assessment and management of cancer cachexia were on three levels: patients, health workers, and organizations. Also, there is a knowledge gap in understanding, assessing, and managing cancer cachexia among healthcare workers, patients, and family members.

Conclusion: The research indicates that patients, family members, and healthcare professionals lack sufficient knowledge about how to identify, assess, and treat cancer cachexia. This gap has a lot of important barriers, both modifiable and nonmodifiable. Patients, healthcare professionals, and organizations are the three levels of those barriers.