{"title":"Oncology Update: Anamorelin.","authors":"Eric Prommer","doi":"10.1177/1178224217726336","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Cancer cachexia is a catabolic syndrome associated with uncontrolled muscle breakdown. There may be associated fat loss. Occurring in high frequency in advanced cancer, it is an indicator of poor prognosis. Besides weight loss, patients experience a cluster of symptoms including anorexia, early satiety, and weakness. The 3 stages of cachexia include stages of precachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia. Refractory cachexia is associated with active catabolism or the presence of factors that make active management of weight loss no longer possible. Patients with refractory cachexia often receive glucocorticoids or megasterol acetate. Glucocorticoid effect is short and responses to megasterol are variable. Anamorelin is a new agent for cancer anorexia-cachexia, with trials completed in advanced lung cancer. Acting as an oral mimetic of ghrelin, it improves appetite and muscle mass. This article reviews the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and effect on cancer cachexia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A PubMed search was done using the Medical Subject Headings term anamorelin. Articles were selected to provide a pharmacologic characterization of anamorelin.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Anamorelin increases muscle mass in patients with advanced cancer in 2-phase 3 trials.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anamorelin improves anorexia-cachexia symptoms in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.</p>","PeriodicalId":56348,"journal":{"name":"Palliative Care","volume":"10 ","pages":"1178224217726336"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0000,"publicationDate":"2017-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1177/1178224217726336","citationCount":"7","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Palliative Care","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/1178224217726336","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2017/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"","JCRName":"","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 7
Abstract
Background: Cancer cachexia is a catabolic syndrome associated with uncontrolled muscle breakdown. There may be associated fat loss. Occurring in high frequency in advanced cancer, it is an indicator of poor prognosis. Besides weight loss, patients experience a cluster of symptoms including anorexia, early satiety, and weakness. The 3 stages of cachexia include stages of precachexia, cachexia, and refractory cachexia. Refractory cachexia is associated with active catabolism or the presence of factors that make active management of weight loss no longer possible. Patients with refractory cachexia often receive glucocorticoids or megasterol acetate. Glucocorticoid effect is short and responses to megasterol are variable. Anamorelin is a new agent for cancer anorexia-cachexia, with trials completed in advanced lung cancer. Acting as an oral mimetic of ghrelin, it improves appetite and muscle mass. This article reviews the pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and effect on cancer cachexia.
Methods: A PubMed search was done using the Medical Subject Headings term anamorelin. Articles were selected to provide a pharmacologic characterization of anamorelin.
Results: Anamorelin increases muscle mass in patients with advanced cancer in 2-phase 3 trials.
Conclusions: Anamorelin improves anorexia-cachexia symptoms in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.
期刊介绍:
Palliative Care and Social Practice is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal that publishes articles on all aspects of palliative care. It welcomes articles from symptom science, clinical practice, and health services research. However, its aim is also to publish cutting-edge research from the realm of social practice - from public health theory and practice, social medicine, and social work, to social sciences related to dying and its care, as well as policy, criticism, and cultural studies. We encourage reports from work with under-represented groups, community development, and studies of civic engagement in end of life issues. Furthermore, we encourage scholarly articles that challenge current thinking about dying, its current care models and practices, and current understandings of grief and bereavement. We want to showcase the next generation of palliative care innovation research and practice - in clinics and in the wider society. Relaunched in July 2019. Partnered with Public Health Palliative Care International (PHPCI) (Title 2008-2018: - Palliative Care: Research and Treatment)