The Study
Effect of omega 3 fatty acids on C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 in patients with advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer
This study saw that people who took omega-3 pills had lower levels of some inflammation markers, but it didn't randomly assign who got the pills — maybe those people were already healthier or ate better. So we can't say the pills caused the change, just that they were linked to it.
Analysis score
Maximum 72 for a cohort study.
Where the score came from
Doctors gave lung cancer patients fish oil pills with omega-3s for 6 weeks to see if it helped reduce swelling and improve how they felt.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 541 / 100
Quality score
Groups of people are followed over time to see who develops an outcome. Strong for identifying risk factors and associations, but cannot prove causation as firmly as RCTs.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1While inflammation markers improved, patients didn't feel better, gain weight, or gain muscle — so the benefit was limited to blood tests, not real-life well-being.
- 2CRP and IL-6 (inflammation markers) went down significantly; TNF-alpha and PGE2 didn't change.
- 3Weight, muscle, and quality of life stayed the same.
- 4No side effects.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medicine
Year
2018
Authors
Yan Lu, Ren Chen, San-zou Wei, Han-guo Hu, Fei Sun, Chun-hui Yu
Related Content
Claims (5)
Higher intake of omega-3 fatty acids is associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the blood.
In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements daily for six weeks does not change body weight, muscle mass, arm circumference, or self-reported quality of life.
In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer receiving chemoradiotherapy, taking 510 mg EPA and 200 mg DHA daily for six weeks did not result in any reported adverse events.
In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements for six weeks does not change the levels of two specific inflammatory markers in the blood.
In patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer, taking 510 mg of eicosapentaenoic acid and 200 mg of docosahexaenoic acid daily for six weeks lowers plasma levels of C-reactive protein and interleukin-6, but does not change levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha or prostaglandin E2.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.