It is very difficult for pancreatic cancer patients to maintain weight
for several reasons. Many patients lose their appetite and the normal
taste of food as a result of byproducts released from the cancer. Even
the food that is eaten may not always be digested well because the
pancreas is not working properly. If the pancreatic duct is obstructed
or after surgery, the pancreas may not release sufficient amounts of
pancreatic enzymes.Therefore some patients will benefit from taking
pancreatic enzymes.
Unfortunately, the problems with weight do not end there. The majority
of patients with pancreatic cancer will still lose weight even if they
are eating and digesting their food sufficiently. Many pancreas cancers
(and other cancers) release compounds into the blood that breakdown
muscle and fat (causing cachexia).
So that over time patients will find they are not only slimmer but
their muscles are smaller and they become progressively more fatigued.
There have been many previous attempts to correct the problem of weight
loss. Many attempts are made to increase calories with nutrition supplements
taken orally, given through tubes into the stomach or even into a vein.
These efforts may be useful if one is not taking in enough food, but
many patients still lose weight even if they are eating enough food.
So additional treatment is needed.
In addition to pancreatic enzymes, several medications have been tried,
mostly to improve appetite. Megace, for example may be useful to increase
weight and improve well being to an extent, but additional treatments
would be very helpful especially to combat the loss of muscle mass.
