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About 20% of cancer-related deaths are attributed to cachexia syndrome, which in cancer patients is often characterized by rapid loss of fat and skeletal muscle.
These results are important because there is currently no established therapy targeting this loss of skeletal muscle, and without intervention, patients lose their muscle function and become fatigued and weakened.
"We hoped to demonstrate that these patients would not feel well enough to even get up to at least have a basic quality of life that would allow them to take care of themselves and receive therapy," he said. said Melinda. Sheffield-Moore, professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch, United States.
She said that the previous nutrition-focused treatment failed to combat this serious loss of body mbad.
"We already know that testosterone builds skeletal muscle in healthy individuals, so we have tried to use it in a population at high risk of muscle loss, so that these patients can maintain their strength and performance. to receive standard cancer treatments. "Sheffield-Moore said.
For the study, published in the Journal of Cachexia, patients with a type of cancer called squamous cell carcinoma were treated with standard chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy in addition to seven weeks of treatment by testosterone or placebo.
Those who received testosterone maintained their total body mbad and increased their lean body mbad by 3.2%.
Maintaining body mbad is important since most patients experience a 20% or more decrease in body weight, depending on the type of cancer.
Patients also demonstrated improved physical activity.
"They felt good enough to get up and take care of some of their basic activities of daily living, such as cooking, cleaning and bathing," said Sheffield-Moore.
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