Skeletal Muscle Energy Metabolism in Undernourished Patients With Gastrointestinal Cancer

Undernutrition associated with cancer, or cancer cachexia results from a deterioration of the energy balance that leads to a gradual mobilization of energy reserves in the body and to increasing deterioration of the nutritional status of patients. This will thus significantly reduce quality of life and survival of patients with a lower tolerance to cancer treatments. Despite undeniable progress in knowledge, many pathophysiological mechanisms remain few or not explored, which could explain that there is still no satisfactory therapeutic solution to halt the gradual deterioration of the nutritional status of patients. In this sense, apart from preclinical data obtained in animal models, there is currently no clinical study on the functioning of skeletal muscle energy metabolism in undernourished patients suffering of cancer.