Introduction of an Omega-3 Enriched Oral Supplementation for Cancer Patients Close to the First Chemotherapy: May It Be a Factor for Poor Compliance?

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate compliance of cancer patients to EPA-enriched supplementation at the beginning of chemotherapy, and its effects on inflammation. Gastrointestinal and lung cancer patients were randomly assigned to receive nutritional supplement enriched with 2.2 g EPA or standard isocaloric one. Supplements were introduced 72 h before the first chemotherapy and continued for 4 wk. Serum C-reactive protein was measured and its variation was analyzed according to tumor location and treatment group. Compliance was assessed by phone contact and counting of supplement bottles returned after treatment. Sixty-nine patients were assessed, mean aged 65.5 yr old, most of them (59%) men. Gastrointestinal cancer was more prevalent and lung cancer had the highest C-reactive protein values (P = 0.009). Twenty-four patients interrupted treatment (trend for more interruption in EPA group), mainly because of gastrointestinal intolerance. No difference was found in C-reactive protein variation between EPA and control groups after treatment. Lung tumors showed higher inflammation than gastrointestinal ones. A short intervention with EPA was insufficient to reduce inflammation, which may be caused by the frequent abandoning of treatment. The beginning of chemotherapy may not be the optimal time point to initiate EPA supplementation because uncomfortable effects of both treatments may lead to poor adherence.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We thank the group members, as participating investigators and who provided general support, Lucia Rota Borges, Denise Halpern-Silveira, Paola Tortelli, Leonardo Pozza, Maria Augusta Lang, Rafael Glufke, Ilka Benedet Linburger, Jaqueline Maslonek, Lara Real, Alessandra Formigheri, and Caroline Penno. This study was conducted at the Teaching Hospital of the Federal University of Pelotas, RS, Brazil.

Additional information

Funding

We thank the Brazilian National Counsel of Technological and Scientific Development for the fund directed to the development of this study. We thank to the Nutricia Laboratories, for the oral supplements containing EPA donation. These both entities had no involvement in study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation of data, writing the manuscript or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.