Content - Diagnosing Cancer Cachexia | Decera Clinical Education

Introduction

In this module, Ester Oneda, MD, reviews optimal ways to recognize the signs and symptoms of cachexia and provides a global perspective on the available diagnostic tools that can be used to assess, measure, and correctly document cachexia in patient records. These topics were presented by Dr Oneda during a previously held virtual live webinar, titled: Global Expert Think Tank: Hope on the Horizon? Key Evidence and Real-world Insights to Optimize the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cancer Cachexia.

Please note that the key points discussed in this module are illustrated with thumbnails from an accompanying downloadable PowerPoint slideset, which can be found here or downloaded by clicking any of the slide thumbnails in the module alongside the expert commentary.

Decera Clinical Education plans to measure the educational impact of this activity. A few questions will be asked twice: once at the beginning of the activity and then again after the discussion that informs the best choice. Your responses will be aggregated for analysis, and your specific responses will not be shared.

Before continuing with this educational activity, please take a moment to answer the following questions.

How many people with cancer do you provide care for in a typical month?

A.
1-4
B.
5-10
C.
11-15
D.
16-20
E.
>20
F.
Not applicable

For those who practice in academic or community settings, please indicate your practice setting:

A.
Academic
B.
Community
C.
Not applicable

What is the most commonly used diagnostic criterion for cachexia in patients with advanced cancer with a body mass index (BMI) >20 who are receiving anticancer treatment?

A.
>5% weight loss in 6 months
B.
>5% weight loss in 12 months
C.
>10% weight loss in 6 months
D.
>10% weight loss in 12 months

A 68-year-old man is being treated with a chemotherapy regimen for locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. At baseline, his height was 172 cm and weight was 66 kg. His family is concerned about his appetite because he has lost 8 kg within the last 3 months of therapy. Patient-reported symptoms include loss of appetite, early satiety, increased fatigue, and reduced physical activity over the last 3 months. His BMI is 21 kg/m², ECOG PS 1, C-reactive protein (CRP) is mildly elevated, and albumin is at low-normal levels. For this patient, all of the following tools can be used to assess for cancer cachexia EXCEPT:

A.
CT imaging at L3 vertebral level
B.
6-minute walk test
C.
Hand grip strength
D.
≥2% unintentional weight loss

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Signs and Symptoms of Cachexia and Optimizing Diagnostic Tools to Assess, Measure, and Document Cancer Cachexia

Ester Oneda, MD

Activity

Introduction

How many people with cancer do you provide care for in a typical month?

For those who practice in academic or community settings, please indicate your practice setting:

What is the most commonly used diagnostic criterion for cachexia in patients with advanced cancer with a body mass index (BMI) >20 who are receiving anticancer treatment?