What is Cancer Cachexia?

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Hi, I’m Dr. Branyon with New Hope unlimited. Thanks for joining me today. It’s greatly appreciated. Today I want to talk to you about a syndrome called cancer Cachexia. Now, let me warn you, this is probably about the fifth time I’ve already started this video over and over and over. And hopefully I’ll get through this one. But I’m going to try not to make mistakes and those mistakes is saying that word to Cachexia. Anyway, let me get on with a programme here. Cancer cachexia can happen to a cancer patient, not all cancer patients. But I want to give you a little bit of what it’s about, because I think it’s very important that we think about what could be happening to our patients, and to our loved ones. So let’s get on now. Cancer cachexia is what they call a wasting away syndrome. The word Cachexia comes from a Greek word called kakós, K A K O S. But here in the US, the word Cachexia is spelled C A C H E X I A, I can spell it better than I can say it sometimes. But what it is, it’s, it’s a syndrome where the cancer patients will start becoming

 

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reduced strength, no energy fatigue, they’ll stop eating almost like it’s anorexic, they will become very depressed. And their blood work can show anemia. And it just seems like it doesn’t get better. Well, what happens when, for the body, when that happens, the human body is amazing, it’s matte, miraculous, and it tries to do this thing called homeostasis, it will bounce itself around trying to correct one thing while the other is not working. So it tries to help itself. Now, sometimes by doing that, it’s trying to keep that patient alive. And with cancer cachexia. How does that come about? It can come about from oh my goodness,

 

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chemotherapy,

 

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certain drugs, depression. But most of the time with cancer, it’s going to be some of the drugs and chemotherapy. But it can be a mixture of a lot of things. So when it happens, the body is going to try to correct itself and help the body.

 

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But that’s not always working. There is three stages of cancer cachexia. Number one is the pre Cachexia, that’s where the patient just loses its appetite, their appetite. And then there is Cachexia, that is where that homeostasis comes in and tries to fight it and keep the patient healthy.

 

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Basically, by helping itself in the patient will lose sometimes 5%, that’s in the beginning 5% of their body

 

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weight. And what’s happening is the body is kind of working on eating up the fat cells trying to get that energy, and then it will go to the muscle and it will start eating up the muscle cells. Because it needs that protein. Well, that’s getting a little to the point of becoming what they call the third stage or refractory Cachexia. Now, it is very important when you recognise that cancer patient is becoming all authority, no strength, doesn’t want to eat loses that appetite. You talk to your doctor or the patient’s doctor right away.

 

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And it’s very, very important that the body has protein diet is so important at this point. Well, it’s been important, but right now, diet is real important. The patient needs protein. The patient needs carbohydrates, and fats, and of course vegetables. But what will help that patient get out of Cachexia quicker than anything is going to be proteins, carbohydrates and fats. That’s not something we always say oh, that’s what we want to eat first, but we’re in the emergency state right now. By the way

 

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When a patient has low hemoglobin, do you know what will help? Let’s say it’s a low hemoglobin, but it’s not low enough to where it needs he or she needs a blood transfusion, a good organic steak will do the trick, it will help raise hemoglobin quicker than any other food there is. And that is including hamburger meat hamburger meat doesn’t do it needs to be an organic steak, beans and rice vegetables. That’s that’s not the protein that the body needs because we are protein and Cachexia starts eating muscles. And that is that animal muscle protein that it’s needing. So it’s important all along from day one to eat a good quality diet. However, when a patient starts becoming Cachexia, there is times that you may even if you have to put it all in a blender, I know it sounds gross, but cook it put it in a blender, because if they still have taste buds, they can taste it and drink it or either lightly, lightly chew it, like soup. But whatever it takes, it’s so much better than to try that than having to end up trying to get a feeding tube that can come when the patient becomes Cachexia. So I’m trying to give you tips, symptoms, what it’s about and how to try to avoid that. So it’s important, very, very important. Diet is very important. Don’t let your loved one or if you’re the patient. Do your best even when you don’t want to eat. Force yourself to eat even if it’s just tiny little meals all through the day.

 

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Thanks for listening, and I hope this helped. I love you and tell yourself how much you love yourself. Because at some point, you might start believing it. Thank you. Love you.