The Consumption of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Improves Clinical Outcomes and Prognosis in Pancreatic Cancer Patients: A Systematic Evaluation

Abstract

This study was aimed to systematically evaluate results of trials examining the effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) consumption on body weight, lean body mass, resting energy expenditure, and overall survival in pancreatic cancer patients. We searched Medline, Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases. We selected randomized controlled trials of n-3 PUFA vs. conventional nutrition in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients. We analyzed our data using the Cochrane statistical package RevMan 5.1. Eleven trials met our inclusion criteria. There was a significant increase in body weight [weighted mean difference (WMD) = 0.62; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.54–0.69, P < 0.00001) and lean body mass (WMD = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.86–1.06, P < 0.00001), a significant decrease in resting energy expenditure (WMD = −29.74; 95% CI, -55.89—3.59, P = 0.03), and an increase in overall survival (130–259 days vs. 63–130 days) in unresectable pancreatic cancer patients who consumed an oral nutrition supplement enriched with n-3 PUFAs compared to those who consumed conventional nutrition. This preliminary study suggests that n-3 PUFAs are safe and have a positive effect on clinical outcomes and survival in pancreatic cancer patients.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We acknowledge Ying-Jie Ma and Bang-Wei Cao (information specialists) for searching the databases; Ying-Jie Ma and Jing Yu (reviewers) for selecting eligible trials; Ying-Jie Ma and Bang-Wei Cao (reviewers) for data extraction; and Bang-Wei Cao for assessing missing data. We also thank Jing Xiao, Yuanyuan Kong from the Beijing Friendship Hospital and professors from the Capital Medical University.

FUNDING

This work was supported by Grants from Beijing Municipal Health System High-level Health Person Foundation Project, No. 2011-3-007 (to Bang-Wei Cao), Beijing Municipal “Ten, Hundred, thousand” Person Foundation Project (2011-2013 to Bang-Wei Cao), and National Key Basic Research Program of China (973 Program, No. 2012CB526600).