Sign or Symptom
cachexia Audio
ca·chex·i·a [ kuh-kek-see-uh ]
Subclass of:
Emaciation
Etymology:
Greek kaka = bad + hexis = state of body
Definitions related to cachexia:
  • A loss of body mass, fatigue, and weakness; it is often associated with chronic disease.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • General ill health, malnutrition, and weight loss, usually associated with chronic disease.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Severe weight loss, wasting of muscle, loss of appetite, and general debility related to a chronic disease.
    Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO)
    The Human Phenotype Ontology Project, 2025
  • State of general ill health characterized by malnutrition, weakness, and emaciation; occurs during the course of a chronic disease.
    CRISP Thesaurus
    National Institutes of Health, 2006
  • The loss of body weight and muscle mass frequently seen in patients with cancer, AIDS, or other diseases.
    NCI Dictionary of Cancer Terms
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
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This content should not be used in place of medically-reviewed decision support reference material or professional medical advice. Some terms may have alternate or updated definitions not reflected in this set. The definitions on this page should not be considered complete or up to date.