Cod liver oil is an excellent source of the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid – commonly known as EPA and DHA. Some recent studies indicate that omega-3 fatty acids may help people with lung cancer. Cod liver oil treats several conditions associated with lung cancer, including depression and muscle wasting. EPA and DHA also appear to boost cancer treatment efficacy. But if you have lung cancer, seek medical clearance before you supplement cod liver oil.
Depression
One in four cancer patients suffers from depression, according to the American Cancer Society. In 2005, researchers at the National Cancer Center Research Institute East in Japan compared 81 lung cancer patients and found an association between minor depression and levels of omega-3 fatty acids. This research suggests that the omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil have the potential to treat depressive symptoms in lung cancer patients. The results of this study appeared in the December issue of the British Journal of Cancer.
Cachexia
Cachexia refers to the muscle wasting that often afflicts cancer patients. The maintenance of muscle mass during lung cancer treatment underpins survival, according to the National Cancer Institute; cachexia represents the immediate cause of death in 20 to 40 percent of all cancer cases. Recent research points to a role for the omega-3 fatty acids in cod liver oil in cachexia treatment. In 2011, researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada found that 69 percent of cancer patients who ingested 2.2 grams of EPA daily maintained muscle mass during treatment, compared with 29 percent of cancer patients who did not supplement. These results appeared in the April issue of the journal Cancer.
Chemotherapy Efficacy
The EPA and DHA in cod liver oil may also help people with lung cancer use chemotherapy more effectively. Researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada found that nonsmall cell lung cancer patients who supplemented 2.5 grams of EPA and DHA daily demonstrated a better response rate to the chemotherapy, compared with controls. Sixty percent of this group also survived beyond the one-year mark, compared with 29 percent from the control group. These results appeared in the August 2011 issue of the journal Cancer.
Caveat
According to the American Cancer Society, clinical evidence that definitively proves the benefits of EPA and DHA for people with lung cancer remains scant, contradictory and ultimately inconclusive. If you have lung cancer, the decision as to whether or not to supplement cod liver oil remains between you and your doctor.
References
- American Cancer Society; Omega-3 Fatty Acids; November 2008
- Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center; Omega-3; August 2011
- American Cancer Society; Depression; August 2009
- British Journal of Cancer; Levels of Omega-3 Fatty Acid in Serum Phospholipids and Depression in Patients with Lung Cancer; M. Kobayakawa, et al.; December 2005
- National Cancer Institute; Nutrition in Cancer Care; July 2011
- Cancer; Nutritional Intervention with Fish Oil Provides a Benefit over Standard of Care for Weight and Skeletal Muscle Mass in Patients with Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer Receiving Chemotherapy; R.A. Murphy, et al.; April 2011
- Cancer; Supplementation with Fish Oil Increases First-Line Chemotherapy Efficacy in Patients with Advanced Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer. R.A. Murphy, et al.;August 2011
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