Noun

(medicine, pathology) A systemic wasting of muscle tissue, with or without loss of fat mass, that accompanies a chronic disease.

* 2007 , Lawrence E. Harrison, 84: Nutritional Support for the Cancer Patient'', Alfred E. Chang, Patricia A. Ganz, Daniel F. Hayes, Timothy Kinsella, Harvey I. Pass, Joan H. Schiller, Richard M. Stone, Victor Strecher (editors), ''Oncology: An Evidence-Based Approach , page 1488,

Cancer cachexia is a complex syndrome clinically manifest by progressive involuntary weight loss and diminished food intake and characterized by a variety of biochemical alterations.

* 2007 , Toby C. Campbell, Jamie H. Von Roenn, Chapter 11: Anorexia/Weight Loss'', Ann M. Berger, John L. Shuster, Jamie H. Von Roenn (editors), ''Principles and Practice of Palliative Care and Supportive Oncology , page 125,

Cancer cachexia is a complex metabolic process, due to both host and tumor factors, which results in excess catabolism as well as aberrant fat and carbohydrate metabolism.

* 2008 , Mary Marian, Scott A. Shikora, Mary Russell, Clinical Nutrition for Surgical Patients , page 84,

Preoperative nutritional therapy in CHF^{[Cardiac Heart Failure]} patients with cachexia is associated with improved postoperative survival rates (56).

* 2009 , Connie W. Bales, Christine S. Ritchie, Handbook of Clinical Nutrition and Aging , page 158,

While sarcopenia occurs very commonly with aging, cachexia occurs mainly in association with acute or chronic disease.

Noun

(uncountable) The condition of being weak.

(countable) An inadequate quality; fault

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=20 citation , passage=The story struck the depressingly familiar note with which true stories ring in the tried ears of experienced policemen. No one queried it. It was in the classic pattern of human weakness , mean and embarrassing and sad.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2013, date=January 22, author=Phil McNulty, work=BBC

, title= Aston Villa 2-1 Bradford (3-4) , passage=Bradford had preyed on Villa's inability to defend set pieces, corners in particular, in their first-leg win and took advantage of the weakness again as Hanson equalised to restore their two-goal aggregate lead.}}

(countable) A special fondness or desire.