AS Is a 54-Year-Old Business Man Who Has a Family

AS is a 54-year-old business man who has a family history of lung cancer. AS started smoking at 15; years later, he got what he thought was a very bad cold that lasted for a week, started experiencing pain in his tongue, and was given ibuprofen for pain. He then noticed white sores that were getting bigger in his oral cavity near the tongue. He started feeling generally lousy and was unable to eat because of severe pain; he lost 30 lbs in a month. AS went to the clinic, where they did a biopsy that revealed squamous cell cancer of the tongue. AS has undergone radiation therapy (RT) and surgery to remove the cancer and a restorative surgery was scheduled. Because of the RT, AS has developed mucositis and xerostomia in his oral cavity. All his nodes that were sent to the laboratory tested negative for metastasis, and no further RT was needed. The surgeons felt confident that they had removed all the cancer.
HT: 5'11" UBW: 165 lbs WT: 135 lbs
Meds: Corticosteroids and antineoplastic (dexamethasone) to reduce inflammation, K depletion, Na retention; and morphine for pain.
-Given AS's weight loss, what would his MD likely diagnose him with?

A) failure to thrive
B) anorexia nervosa
C) mildly underweight
D) moderately underweight
E) cancer cachexia

Correct Answer:

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