Etanercept in Treating Cancer-Related Cachexia and Anorexia in Patients With Advanced Cancer

Inclusion Criteria

• •DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Histologically or cytologically confirmed malignancy except brain cancer
• •* If the patient has multiple primaries or an unknown primary, the currently active cancer cannot be brain cancer
• •Disease considered incurable with available therapies
• •No clinical evidence of ascites
• •Weight loss of at least 5 pounds (2.3 kg) within the past 2 months (excluding perioperative weight loss) and/or estimated caloric intake of less than 20 cal/kg daily
• •Weight gain determined by physician to be beneficial
• •Patient perceives weight loss as a problem
• •PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS:
• •Age
• •18 and over
• •Performance status
• •ECOG 0-2
• •Life expectancy
• •More than 3 months
• •Hematopoietic
• •Not specified
• •Hepatic
• •Not specified
• •Renal
• •Not specified
• •Cardiovascular
• •No poorly controlled congestive heart failure
• •No poorly controlled hypertension
• •No pacemaker, implanted defibrillator, stents, or metal suture material in the heart or great vessels (for patients participating in the BIA translational portion of the study)
• •Gastrointestinal
• •No known mechanical obstruction of the alimentary tract
• •No malabsorption
• •No intractable vomiting (more than 5 episodes/week)
• •Not concurrently receiving tube feedings or parenteral nutrition
• •Other
• •Able to reliably administer subcutaneous medication twice weekly
• •Alert and mentally competent
• •Not pregnant or nursing
• •Negative pregnancy test
• •Fertile patients must use effective contraception
• •PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY:
• •Biologic therapy
• •More than 1 month since prior infliximab
• •No concurrent live vaccination
• •Chemotherapy
• •Concurrent chemotherapy allowed
• •Endocrine therapy
• •At least 1 month since prior adrenal steroids
• •No concurrent adrenal steroids (inhalant, topical, or optical steroids allowed)
• •* Concurrent short-term dexamethasone for chemotherapy-induced emesis is allowed
• •Radiotherapy
• •Concurrent radiotherapy allowed
• •Surgery
• •Not specified
• •Other
• •More than 1 month since prior etanercept
• •No concurrent evaluation with another device that injects an electrical current into the body (for patients participating in the bioelectrical impendance analysis \[BIA\] translational portion of the study)