Weight Loss Despite Eating in Cancer, Advanced Illness & Palliative Care: Anorexia-Cachexia Part 3

Описание: "Am I starving?" Discover why ongoing weight loss in advanced cancer or organ illness is NOT starvation. In this Part 3 video, Dr. Jonathan Wong, a palliative care doctor from Winnipeg, explains the complex reality about unintentional weight loss despite eating in patients with an advanced cancer or organ illness. We'll answer critical questions like: Are patients with cachexia starving? And, do supplemental feeding strategies help with weight gain or extend life?

It's a frustrating situation for patients, families, and medical teams, who often ask, "Should we force them to eat more?" or "Will aggressive nutrition help them live longer?" Dr. Wong will explain the physiological differences between true starvation and the anorexia-cachexia syndrome. Learn why simply adding more calories often doesn't work and can even cause harm, in this context.

Understand why medical research shows that aggressive feeding strategies (like tube feeding or TPN) may not improve longevity, sustained weight, function, or quality of life in advanced illness. Instead, Dr. Wong suggests focusing on eating for pleasure and listening to the patient's body.

00:00 Intro
00:57 Background
01:51 Common situation
02:52 Supplemental feeding. Beneficial?
03:56 The answer
04:53 Potential problems with forced feeding & tube feeding
06:23 Starvation vs Anorexia-cachexia syndrome
09:23 Suggestions
10:01 Summary


#AnorexiaCachexia #WeightLossExplained #PalliativeCare #AdvancedIllness #StarvationMyth #NutritionalSupport #EndofLifeCare #CancerCare #ChronicIllness #DrJonathanWong

Links:
Part 1:    • Appetite & Weight Loss in Cancer and Advan...  

Part 2:    • Ways to Improve your Appetite in Cancer & ...  

Link to the introductory/welcome video for this channel:
   • Welcome to Palliative Care Explained! Decl...  

About this channel:
Welcome to Palliative Care Explained - a channel aimed at answering your questions about palliative care and end of life care. My name is Dr. Jonathan Wong (MD, FRCPC) and I am a palliative care doctor based out of Winnipeg, Canada.
Brought online March 28, 2025, Palliative Care Explained is a channel aimed at answering your questions about palliative care. My formal medical training is in internal medicine and palliative care and I have been working in the field of palliative care since 2011. It is my hope that this channel will better inform viewers about palliative care, end of life care and living with a serious illness.

#palliativecare #endoflifecare #palliative

Intro music written & recorded by: Jonathan Wong

Committee advisors:
Dr. P. Daeninck MD, MSc, FRCPC
Dr. E. Giannouli MD, FRCPC
Dr. J. Strutinsky-Mason MD, MSc, MRCP (UK)

Disclaimer and medical-legal statements:
*As a medical professional speaking to you, I hereby declare that I do not have any conflicts of interest that would compromise the integrity of the presented information.
*I do not have any financial sponsors nor am I receiving any funding from the pharmaceutical industry.
*This channel and its production, is my own undertaking, with support from other palliative care experts.
*This video series is for educational purposes only and is intended for audiences in Canada.
*The presented information may not be applicable to all viewers.
*I am not providing any direct medical treatment or advice to the viewer.
*These videos are not meant to imply or establish a therapeutic relationship with the viewer.
*These videos are not to replace or subvert the advice from the viewer’s own doctor or health care provider team.
*Any further questions should be directed to the medical team most familiar with the viewer’s unique situation.



References and further reading:

Palliative Medicine – A Cased Based Manual
Fourth Edition
MacDonald S, Herx L, Boyle A
Copyright Oxford University Press 2022. Published by Oxford University Press.

Oxford Textbook of Palliative Medicine
Sixth Edition
Cherny N, Fallon M, Kaasa S, Portenoy R, Currow D.
Copyright Oxford University Press 2021. Published by Oxford University Press.

JAMA Evidence
Care at the close of life – Evidence and Experience
McPhee S, Winker M, Rabow M, Pantilat S, Markowitz A
Copyright American Medical Association 2011. Published by McGraw-Hill.