A new look at an old drug for the treatment of cancer cachexia: megestrol acetate.

Cachexia is a multiorganic syndrome associated with cancer, characterized by body weight loss, muscle and adipose tissue wasting and inflammation, being often associated with anorexia. The aim of the present review is to examine the impact of megestrol acetate in the treatment of cancer cachexia, both at the biochemical and physiological level taking into account new experimental data related to protein muscle metabolism. Based on experimental evidence, it is concluded that megestrol acetate is a good candidate for muscle wasting treatment and future studies addressed at the interaction between the drug and protein turnover in human skeletal muscle should be performed.