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Modeling the energetic cost of cancer as a result of altered energy metabolism: implications for cachexia

Overview of attention for article published in Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling, September 2015
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  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age (51st percentile)
  • Above-average Attention Score compared to outputs of the same age and source (57th percentile)

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Title
Modeling the energetic cost of cancer as a result of altered energy metabolism: implications for cachexia
Published in
Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling, September 2015
DOI 10.1186/s12976-015-0015-0
Pubmed ID
Authors

Douglas E. Friesen, Vickie E. Baracos, Jack A. Tuszynski

Abstract

Cachexia affects most patients with incurable cancer. We hypothesize that in metastatic cancer the mass of the tumor as well as its level of anaerobic energy metabolism play a critical role in describing its energetic cost, which results in elevated resting energy expenditure and glucose utilization, leading to cachexia. Prior models of cancer cachexia may have underestimated the specific energetic cost of cancer as they have not taken the range of tumor mass and anaerobic energy metabolism fully into account. We therefore modelled the energetic cost of cancer as a function of the percentage of energy the cancer produces anaerobically, based on resting energy expenditure, glucose turnover, glucose recycling, and oxygen consumption in cancer patients found in previous studies. Data from two clinical studies where tumor burden was estimated and resting energy expenditure or oxygen consumption were measured lead to a broad range of estimates of tumor cost from 190 to 470 kcal/kg tumor/day. These values will vary based of the percentage of energy the cancer produces anaerobically (from 0 to 100 %), which in and of itself can alter the cost over a 2 to 3-fold range. In addition to the tumor cost/kg and the degree of anaerobic metabolism, the impact on a given individual patient will depend on tumor burden, which can exceed 1 kg in advanced metastatic disease. Considering these dimensions of tumor cost we are able to produce a 2-dimensional map of potential values, with an overall range of 100-1400 kcal/day. Quantifying the energetic cost of cancer may benefit an understanding of the tumor's causation of cachexia. Our estimates of the range of tumor cost include values that are higher than prior estimates and suggest that in metastatic disease the tumor cost could be expected to eclipse attempts to stabilize energy balance through nutrition support or by drug therapies. Tumor mass and the percentage of anaerobic metabolism in the tumor contribute to the cost of the tumor on the body and potentially lead directly to negative energy balance and increased muscle wasting.

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Mendeley readers

Mendeley readers

The data shown below were compiled from readership statistics for 120 Mendeley readers of this research output. Click here to see the associated Mendeley record.

Geographical breakdown

Country Count As %
Unknown 120 100%

Demographic breakdown

Readers by professional status Count As %
Researcher 16 13%
Student > Master 15 13%
Student > Ph. D. Student 13 11%
Student > Bachelor 12 10%
Other 6 5%
Other 23 19%
Unknown 35 29%
Readers by discipline Count As %
Medicine and Dentistry 21 18%
Agricultural and Biological Sciences 17 14%
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology 12 10%
Nursing and Health Professions 10 8%
Immunology and Microbiology 3 3%
Other 18 15%
Unknown 39 33%
Attention Score in Context

Attention Score in Context

This research output has an Altmetric Attention Score of 2. This is our high-level measure of the quality and quantity of online attention that it has received. This Attention Score, as well as the ranking and number of research outputs shown below, was calculated when the research output was last mentioned on 19 September 2015.
All research outputs
#13,447,737
of 22,828,180 outputs
Outputs from Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling
#138
of 287 outputs
Outputs of similar age
#126,987
of 268,887 outputs
Outputs of similar age from Theoretical Biology and Medical Modelling
#3
of 7 outputs
Altmetric has tracked 22,828,180 research outputs across all sources so far. This one is in the 39th percentile – i.e., 39% of other outputs scored the same or lower than it.
So far Altmetric has tracked 287 research outputs from this source. They typically receive a little more attention than average, with a mean Attention Score of 7.4. This one is in the 49th percentile – i.e., 49% of its peers scored the same or lower than it.
Older research outputs will score higher simply because they've had more time to accumulate mentions. To account for age we can compare this Altmetric Attention Score to the 268,887 tracked outputs that were published within six weeks on either side of this one in any source. This one has gotten more attention than average, scoring higher than 51% of its contemporaries.
We're also able to compare this research output to 7 others from the same source and published within six weeks on either side of this one. This one has scored higher than 4 of them.