Monday, October 11, 2010

Fish Oil May Help Patients With Lung Cancer

EPA and DHA from fish oil have immune-modulating effects and may improve nutritional status in cancer. This study investigated the effects of an oral nutritional supplement containing (n-3) fatty acids on nutritional status and inflammatory markers in patients with non-small cell lung cancer undergoing multimodality treatment. In a double-blind experiment, 40 patients with stage III NSCLC were randomly assigned to receive 2 cans/d of a protein- and energy-dense oral nutritional supplement containing (n-3) fatty acids (2.0 g EPA + 0.9 g DHA/d) or an isocaloric control supplement.

The intervention group had a better weight maintenance than the control group after 2 and 4 wk, a better fat free mass maintenance after 3 and 5 wk, a reduced resting energy expenditure after 3 wk, and a trend for a greater mid-upper arm circumference and lower interleukin-6 production after 5 wk. After 4 wk, the intervention group had a higher energy and protein intake than the C group. In conclusion, a protein- and energy-dense oral nutritional supplement containing (n-3) fatty acids beneficially affects nutritional status during multimodality treatment in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.