What types of cancer are symptoms of sudden weight loss?

Nearly everyone loses or gains weight at some point in their lives. Diet, exercise, pregnancy, hormonal changes, and aging can all affect weight.

Losing a few pounds is usually nothing to worry about, but losing 10 pounds or more without knowing why is a warning sign. According to the American Cancer Society, sudden weight loss is most common with cancers that affect the stomach, pancreas, esophagus, and lung.

Losing more than 4kg in a short period of time is a sign of poor health. Photo: Prevention

“For many people with cancer, unexplained weight loss is one of the first signs,” advises Dr. Munveer Bhangoo, a hematologist and oncologist at Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center (USA).

In fact, weight loss can be both a symptom of cancer and a side effect of treatment.

Between 30 and 80 percent of cancer patients may lose weight at some point during their illness, depending on the location of the tumor. Malnutrition is thought to be responsible for between 20 and 40 percent of all cancer-related deaths.

Reasons Cancer Causes Weight Loss

Several factors may contribute to cancer-related weight loss. Cancer cells require more energy than healthy cells, so the body may burn more calories at rest than normal. Cells also release substances that affect the way the body uses calories from food, contributing to weight loss.

Cancers related to the throat and mouth can easily cause patients to lose weight. Illustration: Getwell

As the body tries to protect itself from cancer, the immune system releases cytokines that increase inflammation, Scripps says. Cytokines can alter metabolism and interfere with hormones that control appetite, leading to further weight loss.

Some typescancerCancers that affect the mouth or throat make it difficult to chew or swallow. Patients may experience nausea, have little or no appetite.

Tumors that affect organs near the abdomen, such as ovarian cancer, can press on the stomach as they grow, so patients feel full even though they eat less.

Weight loss can also be associated with cancer treatment. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can cause nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite. Some patients develop mouth ulcers that make eating normally difficult and painful.

Cancer not only has a negative impact on the physical body, but also on the emotions. Along with fatigue and weakness, patients are more likely to be stressed, depressed or anxious. All of these have a negative impact on appetite./.