It is time to rethink weight loss in cancer

Nihilism is all too common at the intersection of nutrition and cancer care. It is far too easy to see a person in clinic with cancer and weight loss, and to reflect silently on the apparent inevitability of this scenario. In the busy clinical environment, our focus moves quickly to other seemingly more pressing (or tangible) issues in the consultation. Because we are so used to seeing people lose weight, there is a risk that other causes of weight loss may be overlooked, including poor nutritional status (whether recent or long term), cachexia, or both.