Cancer patients suffering from severe appetite loss while undergoing chemotherapy can improve appetite if they take a pill, costing less than Rs 2, once a day. A recent trial conducted at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (Jipmer) focused on cancer patients experiencing severe appetite loss. The trial showed significant improvement in appetite after the patients took olanzapine, a psychiatric drug, in low doses. The research findings were published in the scientific journal, Journal of Clinical Oncology.
The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has recommended changes in the management of eating disorders, particularly anorexia, in chemotherapy patients. Anorexia affects 30%-80% of patients with advanced cancer and can worsen during chemotherapy. In response to this, Jipmer enrolled 124 patients with untreated and locally advanced cancer in the trial. Half of the patients were administered olanzapine (2.5mg once a day for 12 weeks) along with chemotherapy. The results showed that patients who took olanzapine experienced weight gain and improved nutritional parameters.
Dr. Prasanth Ganesan, a professor of medical oncology at Jipmer, stated, ‘We concluded that a low dose, daily olanzapine is a simple, inexpensive, well-tolerated intervention that significantly improves appetite and weight gain in newly diagnosed patients on chemotherapy.’
The trial at Jipmer is part of the Biotechnology Research Assistance and Development Council’s National Biopharma Mission, which aims to collaborate on research for the development of new drugs, surgical techniques, and radiation techniques to treat cancer. The institute received funding from Birac and initiated the Network of Oncology Clinical Trials India (NOCI). This network has created a registry for six common cancers and aims to conduct clinical trials to answer relevant questions and facilitate access to newer agents and biological molecules.
Dr. Charles L Loprinzi of Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, commented on the trial, stating, ‘We now have convincing evidence that olanzapine is helpful for treating cancer anorexia.’ The use of olanzapine as a treatment for cancer-related appetite loss can be a game-changer for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, providing them with a simple and affordable solution to improve their appetite and overall well-being.
