Describe the difference between prolonged fasting/starvation versus cachexia in children with cancer.

• A. Cachexia is an advanced wasting with depletion of skeletal muscle and adipose tissue and loss of protein-sparing mechanisms; prolonged fasting preserves lean tissue through protein conservation and lower energy expenditure.
• B. Prolonged fasting causes greater muscle loss than cachexia.
• C. Cachexia only affects adipose tissue, not muscle.
• D. Fasting increases energy expenditure.

Answer: (A)