title: Potential applications of fish oils rich in n-3 fatty acids in the palliative treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer.
abstract: The palliative treatment of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer (APC) has undergone little advancement in the last 15 years. Novel therapies that have been investigated to extend survival have shown little benefit over existing chemotherapy regimens. Patients with APC often experience significant weight loss, which is one of the primary factors involved in declining quality of life. Recently, the ability of n-3 fatty acid rich oral preparations to attenuate or reverse tumour-related weight loss has been investigated in this patient group with encouraging results. Laboratory investigation has also yielded promising results suggesting a potential direct tumouricidal effect of n-3 fatty acids as well as the putative potentiation of existing chemotherapy regimes. The present review aims to examine the potential applications of fish oils rich in n-3 fatty acids in patients with APC, present a selection of the studies carried out to date and outline avenues of possible further clinical investigation.
authors: Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery, Leicester General Hospital, Leicester, UK. ali.arshad@doctors.org.uk
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Arshad
authors: Dhya
authors: D
authors: Al-Leswas
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Stephenson
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Metcalfe
authors: Ashley
authors: A
authors: Dennison
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005395:Fish Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D051379:Mice; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods*; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D051381:Rats; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D006113:United Kingdom; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D017962:alpha-Linolenic Acid; D004281:Docosahexaenoic Acids; D015118:Eicosapentaenoic Acid