Table 1 Clinical therapeutic agents for the treatment of cachexia (adapted from [1])
Action site | Agent | Cancer cachexia | Other cachexia- causing diseases |
|---|---|---|---|
Appetite stimulants | Progestational agents | √ | √ |
Cannabinoids | √ | √ | |
Olanzepine | √ | √ | |
Corticosteroids | √ | ||
Ghrelin | √ | √ | |
Nutritional supplements | Amino acids | √ | √ |
Creatine | √ | ||
Polyunsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (n-3) (fish oil) | √ | √ | |
Anabolic steroids | √ | √ | |
Insulin | √ | ||
Insulin-like growth factor, growth hormone | √ | √ | |
β-adrenergic agonists | |||
Exercise | √ | √ | |
Combination therapy | Exercise + oral nutritional supplementation | √ | |
Anabolic steroids + oral nutritional supplementation | √ | ||
Anti-inflammatory | Polyunsaturated fatty acids: eicosapentaenoic acid (n-3) (fish oil) | √ | √ |
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents | √ | √ | |
Macrolide antibiotics | √ | ||
Cytokine inhibitors | √ | √ | |
Statins | √ | ||
Thalidomide | √ | ||
Pentoxyphylline | √ | √ |