Brown Adipose Tissue Activity and Energy Metabolism in Cachexia

Inclusion Criteria:

* Pancreatic cancer patients, or NSCLC cancer patients, or COPD patients
* The diagnostic criterion for cachexia is unintentional weight loss more than 5% over the past 6 months or more than 2% in individuals with a body-mass index \< 20 kg/m2 and muscle wasting assessed by DXA;
* Age ≥ 30 years;
* Gender: male and female;
* Caucasians.

Exclusion Criteria:

* Uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus;
* Patients with severe clotting disorder;
* Patients with an active second malignancy;
* Psychological unstable persons presumed unfit to perform the measurements, including claustrophobia;
* Persons unable to lie or sit still for 1-2 hours;
* Oxygen therapy;
* Pregnant subjects;Subjects unable to undergo MRI (e.g. pacemaker; neurostimulator; implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) or leads; Foley bladder catheter; medication pump; cochlear or hearing implant; tattoos or other items that cannot be removed and include metal parts (for instance from operations in the past); metal splinter in the eye; vascular clips; denture, which contains magnets);
* Subjects that received high doses of radiotherapeutic radiation of the neck and/or upper chest in their medical history;
* Persons that received cervical or thoracic sympathectomy or have a nerve dysfunction which is likely to influence sympathetic nerves;
* The use of medication that influences the sympathetic nerve system: ß-blockers, α-blockers, central anti-hypertensives, certain anti-depression drugs (MAO inhibitors, tricyclic anti-depressives), reserpine, cocaine, calciumblockers, labetalol, and certain tranquillizers (fenothiazines).