Fish Oil Fights Wasting During Chemo, University of Alberta Study

MedPageToday -- Fish oil supplements may help prevent weight and muscle loss during chemotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to results from a small open-label study. The study, conducted among 40 patients, found that those who started taking fish oil when they began 10 weeks of chemotherapy actually gained 0.5 kg (1.1 lbs) whereas those receiving only the standard of care lost 2.3 kg (5.1 lbs) by time their chemotherapy had ended (P<0.05), Vera C. Mazurak, PhD, of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and colleagues reported online in Cancer.