Hunter CN, Abdel-Aal HH, Elsherief WA, et al. - This double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial was undertaken to examine the efficacy as well as tolerability of mirtazapine in cancer-associated anorexia and cachexia. Participants were 120 incurable solid tumour patients experiencing anorexia (appetite loss ≥4 on 0-10 scale, 10= maximum appetite loss), cachexia (>5% body weight loss over 6 months or >2% plus body mass index <20) and depression score ≤3 on 0-6 scale (6= extreme feelings of depression). They were 1:1 randomly assigned to receive mirtazapine 15mg daily at night for 8 weeks or placebo. A significant increase in appetite score was evident with mirtazapine as well as with placebo. Compared with placebo, no superiority of mirtazapine 15mg at night for 28 days was evident in terms of improving the appetite of incurable solid tumor patients with cancer-associated anorexia and cachexia. Significantly less increment in depressive symptoms as well as higher prevalence of somnolence were observed in relation to treatment with mirtazapine.