Eating-Related Distress of Patients with Advanced, Incurable Cancer and of Their Partners

The mechanism of loss of weight (cachexia), appetite (anorexia), and strength (asthenia) of most patients with advanced, incurable cancer encompasses a complex combination of paraneoplastic primary anorexia-cachexia syndromes (ACS). In addition, there are often secondary ACS due to other complications of advanced cancer, such as severe symptoms, disrupted function of the gastrointestinal tract, and reduced physical ability [1].