Fish-Oil Fats May Stop Cancer Weight Loss
 (NY, Reuters Health, 9/12/03)

People with advanced cancer typically suffer cachexia, a condition characterized by weight loss and muscle deterioration. Dr. K. C. H. Fearon, from the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in the UK, and associates, studied this problem by instructing 200 pancreatic cancer patients to take 2 cans of a dietary supplement daily. The supplement the researchers gave to one group was enriched with Omega 3 fatty acids, a component of fish oil; while the supplement they gave to the others was not. During the course of the study, the patients typically consumed significantly less than the recommended dose. At the end of the study, the scientists found that the more omega-3 supplement subjects consumed the greater their weight and muscle gain and the better their quality of life. On the other hand, increased amounts of the Omega-3 deficient supplement did not have this effect.