{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T12:26:28Z","timestamp":1786969588586,"version":"build-2736575974"},"reference-count":28,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,15]],"date-time":"2026-08-15T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786752000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health","award":["U54CA233396"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U54CA233396"]}]},{"name":"National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health","award":["U54CA233444"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U54CA233444"]}]},{"name":"National Cancer Institute (NCI) of the National Institutes of Health","award":["U54CA233465"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["U54CA233465"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Curr. Oncol.","Current Oncology"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Cancer-associated cachexia (CAC) is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by systemic inflammation, muscle wasting, and progressive functional decline, affecting up to 80% of patients with advanced cancer. The inconsistent diagnostic criteria limit comparability across studies and hinder translation into clinical practice. Inflammatory biomarkers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-\u03b1), C-reactive protein (CRP), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and serum albumin, have been studied as markers of the presence, severity, and progression of CAC. This review synthesizes evidence linking these five biomarkers to key manifestations of CAC, including weight- loss, muscle depletion, fatigue, quality of life, and survival. A structured search of PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science studies published between 2000 and 2025, yielding 20 articles for final synthesis to evaluate biomarker patterns and their potential utility for early detection and risk stratification. IL-6 and CRP show consistent associations with muscle wasting and systemic inflammatory burden. Albumin and NLR demonstrate enhanced prognostic value when incorporated into composite indices such as the Cachexia index. TNF-\u03b1 remains mechanistically relevant but shows limited predictive utility when assessed independently. CRP, Albumin, and NLR are derived from routine, low-cost tests, whereas IL-6 and TNF-\u03b1 require specialized cytokine assays. Future research is warranted to standardize diagnostic criteria and validate biomarker thresholds to develop an accessible, multi-biomarker panel for improved detection and monitoring of CAC.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/curroncol33080483","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,17]],"date-time":"2026-08-17T11:00:05Z","timestamp":1786964405000},"page":"483","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Systemic Inflammatory Biomarkers and Cancer-Associated Cachexia: A Narrative Review"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"33","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-1099-9369","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Shawna","family":"Landon","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5289-5585","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jaclyn M.","family":"Hall","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5669-8709","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Saunjoo L.","family":"Yoon","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"College of Nursing, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,15]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"229","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"74","author":"Bray","year":"2024","journal-title":"CA Cancer J. 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