14Lack of Appetite and Weight Loss
Appetite loss and weight loss have both been cited to be silent signs of lung cancer. While the loss of appetite appears to present itself as anorexia, the weakness and weight loss caused by the resultant ill health and malnutrition is known as cachexia. Together, they are referred to as cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS).
CACS causes additional complications and negative effects on the health of patients with lung cancer. Nearly half of all the patients suffering from all forms of cancer experience anorexia and cachexia, and at diagnosis, approximately 60 percent of patients with lung cancer have already experienced substantial weight loss.
