Cancer cachexia: host energy metabolism disorder and regulatory lipids.

Among the factors that can modify anti-cancer drug efficiency, the patient nutritional state plays a major role. It is well established that the occurrence of cachexia in cancer patients reduces their survival; however, there is no efficient nutritional or pharmacological therapy that can maintain/restore a nutritional state suitable for an efficient anti-cancer therapy. Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome characterized by a negative energy balance, inflammation, skeletal muscle and white adipose tissue wasting but its mechanisms of development have not been elucidated.