Recent research has shed light on a potential solution to the emotional toll of cancer cachexia, a condition that often leads to significant emotional changes in cancer patients, affecting their ability to handle treatment and impacting their overall quality of life.
Despite being familiar to scientists, the exact cause of the sudden shift to despair, apathy, and lack of motivation in even the most optimistic cancer patients has long been unclear. However, a breakthrough by professors at Washington University School of Medicine and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory has revealed that the development of cachexia leads to decreased dopamine release from neurons. This reduction in the feel-good chemical is triggered by inflammation, commonly associated with cancer.
Adam Kepecs, one of the professors involved in the study, explains the significance of their discovery, noting, “We discovered a full brain circuit that senses inflammation in the bloodstream and sends signals that reduce motivation. This reveals that apathy isn’t just an emotional or psychological reaction to cachexia—it’s built into the biology of the disease."
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This finding opens up the potential for repurposing existing antibody treatments to address the emotional state and quality of life of cancer patients. Associate Professor Tobias Janowitz emphasizes the broader goals of such interventions, stating, “Our goals are to make patients feel better and to treat the cancer better. A better patient will be able to better tolerate and benefit from anti-cancer treatments."
The impact of cancer cachexia, also known as wasting syndrome, extends beyond physical manifestations, affecting various organs and processes, including emotions. The condition often presents as unexplained weight loss due to insulin resistance and accelerated metabolism, particularly in individuals with lung cancer or cancer affecting the digestive system. According to Cancer Research UK, up to 80% of advanced cancer patients experience some degree of cachexia, with similar effects observed in advanced stages of other illnesses such as HIV, heart disease, and kidney disease.
While current treatments for cachexia mainly focus on appetite stimulants, the recent research holds promise for addressing the emotional repercussions of the condition. By combining efforts across cancer and neuroscience, there is hope for developing new approaches to alleviate the emotional burden on cancer patients grappling with cachexia.