ANOREXIA AND CACHEXIA, ASTHENIA, AND LETHARGY

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ANOREXIA AND CACHEXIA

Anorexia and cachexia are particularly devastating manifestations of cancer. Their impact reflects the significance attached to eating as a basic necessity for life and context for social interaction. They also profoundly affect body image.

ASTHENIA

The term asthenia is derived from the Greek words for "absence of strength." Asthenia includes three distinct symptoms: (1) fatigue of lassitude, defined as easy tiring and decreased capacity to maintain adequate performance; (2) generalized weakness, defined as the anticipatory sensation of difficulty in initiating activity; and (3) mental fatigue, defined as the presence of impaired concentration, loss of memory, and emotional lability, as after prolonged mental effort.9, 87

LETHARGY

Lethargy refers to difficulty in maintaining arousal. It is a common symptom that may significantly interfere with a cancer patient's ability

to engage in communication and activities. It is sometimes the presenting sign of a delirium. Because this syndrome is potentially reversible and treatable, careful assessment is essential for optimizing quality of life.

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    Address reprint requests to Sharon Watanabe, MD, Palliative Care Program, Grey Nuns Community Health Centre, 1100 Youville Drive West, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, T6L 5X8

    *

    From the Palliative Care Program, Grey Nuns Community Health Centre, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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    Copyright © 1996 W. B. Saunders Company. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.