Researchers in Southampton are trialling the use of omega-3 on patients who are undergoing bowel cancer treatment, in the hope it will reduce the chance of the disease spreading to the liver.
Mr Zaed Hamady, a consultant general surgeon in Southampton, is leading the study which involves patients who are currently being treated for bowel cancer taking an omega-3 supplement. The patients will be monitored over two to four years and it’s hoped the findings will show omega-3 reduces the chance of their cancer recurring to their liver – which is common in people with advanced bowel cancer – and increase their quality of life.
In Southampton, Mr Hamady’s team will also assess whether the supplement proves to be an effective natural treatment of fatty liver disease – a condition that has a clear link to bowel cancer.
About bowel cancer
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK with over 41,000 new cases diagnosed every year. It most commonly affects males with one in every 14 men likely to be diagnosed in their lifetime, compared to one in every 19 women.
Whilst UK bowel cancer survival has more than doubled in the last 40 years, unfortunately more than half of patients with the disease will experience reoccurrence of cancer elsewhere in the body – most commonly in the liver or lungs – which is known as secondary, advanced or metastatic bowel cancer.
If detected early enough, treatment can cure bowel cancer and stop it coming back. However, patients who are curatively treated and have no metastases elsewhere still have a 10-20% chance of developing secondary bowel cancer, and the chance of developing liver metastases over the following five years is as high as 25-35%.
Why omega-3?
The advantages of taking omega-3 as a dietary supplement have been discussed far and wide in the health world. Already noted for its medical benefits to liver health, heart disease, obesity and vision, it’s a combination of three fatty acids: EPA, DHA and ALA. Most commonly found in fish, it’s recommended that adults should consume three portions of omega-3 rich foods per week.
Previous studies have shown that omega-3, in particular EPA, can help protect against the progression of cancer after treatment.
The supplement used in this trial is 100% EPA and the researchers will test the effect of this fatty acid on both liver metastases, as a result of bowel cancer, and overall liver health.
Understanding the links between the two
“We already know that omega-3 has a number of health benefits, including reducing the risk of heart disease and improving liver health,” explained Mr Hamady.
“We hope this trial will show that people who take the omega-3 supplement have a lower chance of the cancer reoccurring in the liver and that omega-3 will prove to be a good treatment for fatty liver disease which we know has a clear link to bowel cancer.
“This is an easy and pragmatic trial that doesn’t involve scary drugs but it could make a real difference in people’s lives and open the gate for more dietary interventions in the future.”
The trial will begin later this month and will run for a minimum of two years.
Posted on Wednesday 4 April 2018