Effects of eicosapentaenoic acid on biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure in prostate cancer patients who underwent prostatectomy.


METHODS
Sixty-two prostate cancer patients whose PSA levels were less than 0.2 ng/ml 3 months after surgery were randomized to either an EPA group (n=32) or a control group (n=30). EPA (2.4 g/day) was administered in the EPA group for 2 years. PSA was measured every two months.


RESULTS
The EPA concentration increased but the docosahexaenoic acid concentration decreased significantly (P<0.001) in erythrocytes. The PSA recurrence rates during a mean follow-up of 53.8 months were not different between the two groups (p=0.16).


CONCLUSIONS
A longer and/or larger intervention or docosahexaenoic acid supplementation might be necessary to identify significant preventive effects of mega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on PSA recurrence.
Higashihara
Eiji
E
Department of Urology, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan. ehigashi@ks.kyorin-u.ac.jp
Itomura
Miho
M
Terachi
Toshiro
T
Matsuda
Tadashi
T
Kawakita
Mutushi
M
Kameyama
Shuji
S
Fuse
Hideki
H
Chiba
Yutaka
Y
Hamazaki
Tomohito
T
Okegawa
Takatsugu
T
Tokunaga
Masatoshi
M
Murota
Takashi
T
Kawa
Gen
G
Furuya
Yuzo
Y
Akashi
Takuya
T
Hamazaki
Kei
K
Takada
Hideho
H
D000368:Aged; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery*; D055502:Secondary Prevention; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen