A common disorder associated with cancer is muscle weakness. But researchers are studying ways to treat it, and their focus is something already found in the muscles themselves.
Muscle strength was the last thing on Charles Krieger's mind when he was diagnosed with cancer, "You know, I've always been pretty active and moved a lot of pretty good sized weights and I noticed I couldn't lift as much as I used to."
Like many cancer patients, Charles is experiencing muscle weakness. "We do know that people who have advanced cancer, particularly those with gastrointestinal cancer, such as pancreas cancer, colon cancer, in the advanced stages. 60% to 80% of those patients will have muscle atrophy and weakness," says research director Gayle Jameson.
The goal of a new study is to find a way to restore muscle strength in cancer patients. The focus is on a protein in muscles called myostatin.
"Myostatin is in the skeletal muscles and actually helps to suppress muscle growth. So rather than being a growth stimulator, it prevents us from becoming hercules," says Jameson.
She says the belief is that giving a myostatin blocking drug will help patients regain their streng, "we don't have any final results, but we believe this is a well-tolerated drug and that we will see increase in muscle size, and hopefully muscle strength."
Charles' time in the study is almost complete and he says he's seen a big difference already, "I feel better. I'm able to lift things again, more easily than I could before the research study." Charles says his cancer is now in remission and he's feeling great.
