Role of oral supplements in cancer cachexia Gail M. Comer Abbott Laboratories, Abbott Park, Illinois USA Cancer cachexia is characterized by anorexia, early satiety, weakness, anemia, sarcopenia and severe weight loss. Cachexia results from a numerous conditions, including inadequate energy intake, increased energy expenditure, altered metabolism, and abnormalities induced by inflammatory cytokines. Cancer cachexia is a debilitating clinical condition the leads to poor outcomes-imcreased complications, inability to undergo cancer treatments such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy, poor tolerance and decreased response to treatment, delayed timing and dosing of treatments, decreased quality of life, and shortened survival. Since caloric and nutrient intake is low in cancer patients with cachexia, nutritional support is important. However, conventional approaches have not proven effective for stabilizing or increasing weight in these patients. To address the nutritional challenges of cancer cachexia, a nutritional supplement was developed to meet the special patient needs. ProSure is a nutrient-and energy-dense oral supplement enriched with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA); EPA has been shown to inhibit tumor growth and cachexia-induced weight loss. ProSure also contains micronutrients, which are beneficial for biosynthesis of lean muscle mass. This nutritional product is also enriched with antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E and selenium to protect tissues against disease - and treatment-associated damage, and ProSure includes fructo-oligosaccharides, a blend of fermentable fibers that supports digestive health. Added phosphorus, magnesium and Zinc can help to prevent the complications of refeeding syndrome, and these minerals also promote lean tissue synthesis for patients with cancer. Additionally, zinc may increase resistance to DNA damge and enhance DNA repair. From "The 7th Congress of the PENSA Abstract book " Bali, Indonesia, August 24-26, 2001 Page : 58