Metabolic balance across the leg in weight-losing cancer patients compared to depleted patients without cancer.

Oxygen uptake, glucose, lipid, and amino acid metabolism across the leg were measured in cancer patients who had lost 7 to 28% of their normal weight. Three control groups were used: depleted non-cancer patients with the same loss of body weight as the cancer patients; one well-nourished group of patients with acute illness which should lead to malnutrition; one well-nourished group of hospitalized patients without any disease of importance for this study. Blood flow, oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, and glucose, pyruvate, láclate, glycerol, free fatty acids, alanine, and tyrosine balance were measured across the leg in relation to insulin. Depleted cancer patients differed from depleted controls only with respect to glucose uptake. Cancer patients had no significant uptake of glucose across the leg after an overnight fast in contrast to the other groups of patients. Wellnourished patients with acute illness had elevated blood flow, pyruvate, láclate, glycerol, alanine, and tyrosine release com pared with well-nourished conlrols. These changes were as sociated with high fasling levels of insulin. Cancer palienls had decreased glucose uplake, decreased alanine release, and increased glycerol release compared wilh well-nourished con trols. The results support that weight-losing cancer palienls have melabolic reaclions quanlilalively similar to Ihose of depleted non-cancer palients when compared on Ine basis of body composilion. Therefore, we conclude lhal lumor-hosl melabolism in humans is noi unique bul seems lo represenl a normal physiological response to nulrilional deprivalion.