Comparing Olanzapine and Mirtazapine in the Improvement of Unintentional Weight Loss for Patients with Advanced Stage Cancer

Who can take part

• • 18 years of age or older; Able to provide informed consent; Pathologically and/or clinically confirmed diagnosis of advanced cancer; At any point of treatment with standard chemotherapy*; o Scheduled to start, have discontinued or completed, or currently receiving; Greater than or equal to 5% unintentional weight loss over the previous 3-6 months, not explained by simple starvation; o Simple starvation is considered to be excluded when weight loss is not ameliorated by standard nutritional counseling and oral supplementation over a 2-week period); Life expectancy of at least 4 months; Able to communicate well and comply with study requirements, including by phone and written logs; Patients on Dexamethasone will be allowed

Who cannot take part

• • Abnormal liver function defined as > twice upper limit of normal; Elevated QTc; o EKG performed within 1 year of enrollment will be accepted; Total parental nutrition (TPN) or enteral feeds (PEG/PEJ) for >70% of their primary source of daily calorie intake; Taking Marinol within 2 week of enrollment onto study