As Paul said, there are many flavors of cachexia. The main cachexic syndromes we all face are cancer cachexia during treatment and neuroendocrine cachexia post treatment as a late effect. The first is responsible for 20%-40% of the deaths from cancer, it is believed.

More importantly, neuroendocrine cachexic syndrome cause similar muscle wasting, weakness, loss of appetite, etc., but increases of calories does not stop the cachexia. It is related to nerve endings damaged in the area around the medulla oblongata. These nerve endings, along with the hypothalamus and pituitary control the management of many hormones. Virtually any hormone loop can be affected. This can be stopped. I have seen it...firsthand.

SCC Stage IV, BOT, T2N2bM0
Cisplatin/5FU x 3, 40 days radiation
Diagnosis 07/21/03 tx completed 10/08/03
Post Radiation Lower Motor Neuron Syndrome 3/08.
Cervical Spinal Stenosis 01/11
Cervical Myelitis 09/12
Thoracic Paraplegia 10/12
Dysautonomia 11/12
Hospice care 09/12-01/13.
COPD 01/14
Intermittent CHF 6/15
Feeding tube NPO 03/16
VFI 12/2016
ORN 12/2017
Cardiac Event 06/2018
Bilateral VFI 01/2021
Thoracotomy Bilobectomy 01/2022
Bilateral VFI 05/2022
Total Laryngectomy 01/2023