THE EFFECT OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY-ACIDS ON THE PROGRESS OF CACHEXIAIN PATIENTS WITH PANCREATIC-CANCER

Cachexia is common in patients with pancreatic cancer and has been ass ociated with persistent activation of the hepatic acute phase response and increased energy expenditure. Fatty acids have been shown to have anticachectic effects in animal models and to reduce inflammatory med iators in healthy subjects and patients with chronic inflammatory dise ase. Eighteen patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer received di etary supplementation orally with fish oil capsules (1 g each) contain ing eicosapentaenoic acid 18% and docosahexaenoic acid 12%. Anthropome tric measurement, body composition analysis, and measurement of restin g energy expenditure and serum C-reactive protein were performed befor e and after supplementation with a median of 12 g/day of fish oil. Pat ients had a median weight loss of 2.9 kg/month (IQR 2-4.6) prior to su pplementation. At a median of 3 months after commencement of fish oil supplementation, patients had a median weight gain of 0.3 kg/month (IQ R 0-0.5) (p < 0.002). Changes in weight were accompanied by a temporar y but significant reduction in acute phase protein production (p < 0.0 02) and by stabilisation of resting energy expenditure. This study sug gests a component fish oil, perhaps EPA, merits further investigation in the treatment of cancer cachexia.