One out of four death in US is due to cancer. Cancer patients suffer for many months/years before they die. However, we still do not know exactly why cancer patients die. One thing is very dramatic is that all cancer patients suffered cachexia, a general wasting syndrome, before they died. It has long been questioned whether anything can be done for cancer cachexia. A new study published in Cell found that targeting a molecule ActRIIB can dramatically reduce cachexia in a mouse model. More importantly the treatment made sick mice lived much longer. The study has provided hopes for better cancer treatment and perhaps increased survival time.