Clinical Nutrition in Oncology

Clinical Nutrition in Oncology

Posted by on 10 February 2008

Providing oncology patients with optimal nutrition is a key aspect of integrated cancer care. Conventional oncology treatments often result in significant weight loss which is some cases, necessitates discontinuing therapy, but supplementation with fish oil provides nutritional support that can improve body weight in cancer patients. Maintaining body weight is an important therapeutic goal that can help cancer patients to continue other necessary treatments.

Cancer patients experiencing weight loss have been shown to have a high n-6/n-3 fatty acid ratio in white blood cells and plasma phospholipids that are potentially due to nutritional status and/or chemotherapy. Supplemention with fish oil (12 g/day for 14 days) raised plasma EPA and DHA levels and lowered the n-6/n-3 ratio in advanced cancer patients, which was correlated with improvements in body weight.

Omega-6 fatty acids found in corn and safflower oils can act as precursors for intermediates involved in the growth of tumors when fed to animals, whereas omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil can inhibit these effects. Women with breast cancer have exhibited a statistically significant decrease in the n-6/n-3 ratio in breast tissue when given a daily fish oil supplement for 3 months.

In addition, omega-3 fats inhibit the growth of human breast cancer cells in animal models and cell lines.
The potential role of dietary fats in cancer is attracting considerable interest, with both epidemiologic and experimental findings suggesting that omega-3 fats, which are almost absent from typical Western diets, exert protective effects against cancer progression.

A new study proposes that the protective mechanism of omega-3 fats is related to their anti-inflammatory activity. In human cell lines omega-6-derived PGE2 promoted, whereas the omega-3-derived PGE3 suppressed, the progression of angiogenesis.

The health benefits of reducing the n-6/n-3 ratio through regular fish oil supplementation are undeniable and being validated by researchers in almost every area including cardiology, neurology, children's health, and now oncology. It becomes our responsibility as practitioners to make sure our patients are acting on this very important scientific information.

References: 1. Pratt V, et al. Plasma and neutrophil fatty acid composition in advanced cancer patients and response to fish oil supplementation. Br J Cancer 2002;87:1370-1378.
2. Bagga D, et al. Dietary modulation of omega-3/omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios in patients with breast cancer.
J Natl Cancer Inst 1997;89:1123-1131.
3. Schley PD, et al. Mechanisms of omega-3 fatty acid-induced growth inhibition in MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells. Breast Cancer Res Treat 2005 Jul;92:187-195.
4. Schley PD, et al. (n-3) PUFA alter raft lipid composition and decrease epidermal growth factor receptor levels in lipid rafts of human breast cancer cells. J Nutr 2007;137:548-553.
5. Szymczak M, et al. Modulation of angiogenesis by {omega}-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids is mediated by cyclooxygenases. Blood 2008 Jan. [Epub ahead of print].

Clinical Nutrition in Oncology

Featured Product