The results of a very interesting study were presented at the Pancreatic cancer think tank meeting in Utah (September 1999). The meeting was sponsored by the NCI and the Lustgarten Foundation.

For patients with pancreatic cancer, profound weight loss will often shorten their survival.The study demonstrated that taking fish oils helped pancreatic cancer patients gain weight. More importantly, these patients ate better and felt stronger.

In the laboratory, fish oils appear to block the effects of cancer on muscle breakdown. We also know that several of the compounds that cancers release cause cachexia, a general weight loss and wasting of muscle mass. Blocking the effects of these compounds may ultimately be of further benefit in the fight against cancer cachexia.

Fish oil capsules often contain a mixture of compounds. The active compound in this study was EPA (eicopentanoic acid), a compound found in some vegetable oils. Patients in this study took 2g/day in two doses. Generally the medication is well tolerated.

Although there have been many other studies looking at fish oils in other conditions with similar doses, it is important to note that these findings needs confirmation in larger studies. Although maintaining weight will usually translate into improved survival, this study is too preliminary to show this yet. The next step for these researchers is to see if taking fish oils could actually improve survival. We need to know if fish oils help or hinder cancer growth. But until such studies are done, patients may wish to try taking fish oil in their efforts to help maintain their weight and strength.

This study was published in the September 1999 issue of the British Journal of Cancer