The majority of in vivo studies showed a null or inverse association of ghrelin with risk and progression of most cancers , suggesting that ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonist treatment may have a favorable safety profile to use for cancer cachexia .
Ghrelin is a hormone with multiple physiologic functions , including promotion of growth hormone release , stimulation of appetite and regulation of energy homeostasis .
Treatment with ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonists is a prospect i ve therapy for disease-related cachexia and malnutrition .
In vitro studies have shown high expression of ghrelin in cancer tissue , although its role including its impact in cancer risk and progression has not been established .
Prospective Safety Surveillance of GH-Deficient Adults: Comparison of GH-Treated vs Untreated Patients
Context : In clinical practice , the safety profile of GH replacement therapy for GH-deficient adults compared with no replacement therapy is unknown . Objective : The objective of this study was to compare adverse events ( AEs ) in GH-deficient adults who were GH-treated with those in GH-deficient adults who did not receive GH replacement .  Design and Setting : This was a prospect i ve observational study in the setting of US clinical practice s. Patients and Outcome Measures : AEs were compared between GH-treated ( n = 1988 ) and untreated ( n = 442 ) GH-deficient adults after adjusting for baseline group differences and controlling the false discovery rate . The st and ardized mortality ratio was calculated using US mortality rates . Results : After a mean follow-up of 2.3 years , there was no significant difference in rates of death , cancer , intracranial tumor growth or recurrence , diabetes , or cardiovascular events in GH-treated compared with untreated patients . The st and ardized mortality ratio was not increased in either group . Unexpected AEs ( GH-treated vs untreated , P ≤ .05 ) included insomnia ( 6.4 % vs 2.7 % ) , dyspnea ( 4.2 % vs 2.0 % ) , anxiety ( 3.4 % vs 0.9 % ) , sleep apnea ( 3.3 % vs 0.9 % ) , and decreased libido ( 2.1 % vs 0.2 % ) . Some of these AEs were related to baseline risk factors ( including obesity and cardiopulmonary disease ) , higher GH dose , or concomitant GH side effects . Conclusions : In GH-deficient adults , there was no evidence for a GH treatment effect on death , cancer , intracranial tumor recurrence , diabetes , or cardiovascular events , although the follow-up period was of insufficient duration to be conclusive for these long-term events . The identification of unexpected GH-related AEs reinforces the fact that patient selection and GH dose titration are important to ensure safety of adult GH replacement
The majority of in vivo studies showed a null or inverse association of ghrelin with risk and progression of most cancers , suggesting that ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonist treatment may have a favorable safety profile to use for cancer cachexia .
Ghrelin is a hormone with multiple physiologic functions , including promotion of growth hormone release , stimulation of appetite and regulation of energy homeostasis .
Treatment with ghrelin/ghrelin-receptor agonists is a prospect i ve therapy for disease-related cachexia and malnutrition .
In vitro studies have shown high expression of ghrelin in cancer tissue , although its role including its impact in cancer risk and progression has not been established .