PRESERVATION OF MACRONUTRIENT PREFERENCES IN CANCER ANOREXIA

Indirect evidence suggests that cancer anorexia is associated with spe cific aversions to macronutrients. To investigate this, patients with cancer anorexia and hospitalized control subjects devised 3-day menus comprising foods that they wished to eat. These foods were then provid ed for 3 days and the intakes of each food carefully measured. As expe cted, patients with cancer anorexia consumed substantially less energy than hospitalized control subjects (6.0 +/- 0.9 MJ vs 9.5 +/- 0.5 MJ, P < 0.001), However, macronutrient composition was consistently maint ained in the patients with cancer anorexia. These data argue against c ancer anorexia representing a state of macronutrient aversion.