
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”
Please note - this trial is no longer recruiting patients. We hope to add results when they are available.
This study is looking at a fish oil supplement called eicosapentaenoic acid or EPA. This may improve recovery after surgery aiming to cure bowel cancer.
If you have surgery to treat bowel cancer, you may have some muscle wasting which may affect how quickly you recover from surgery. EPA is an found in fish oil and oily fish, or as supplements such as cod liver oil. Researchers believe that EPA may improve recovery after surgery for bowel cancer by preserving muscle that often wastes away after major surgery or due to cancer.
In this study, they will give half the people taking part an EPA supplement before surgery and for 3 weeks afterwards. The other half will take dummy capsules ().
The main aim of this study is to see if taking EPA can help improve both the amount of muscle and how well it works in people having surgery aiming to cure cancer of the bowel.
You may be able to enter this study if you
You cannot enter this study if
This study will recruit 70 people. It is randomised. The people taking part are put into one of 2 groups randomly. Neither you nor your doctor will be able to decide or know which group you are in. This is called a double blind study.
One group take EPA capsules and the other take dummy capsules (placebos). You take 2 capsules, 3 times a day, from 5 days before your surgery until 21 days after surgery. The surgery itself is not part of the study.
Before and after your surgery you
You also give some blood samples, and 2 small samples of muscle, about the size of an orange pip (muscle biopsies). You have your biopsies taken under .
You have the first exercise test, DEXA scan and grip test on the same day as your routine pre surgery appointment. These tests will take about 45 minutes.
You give your muscle biopsies during your surgery, and at your routine follow up appointment after your surgery.
The only extra visit you make to take part in this study is 4 weeks after your surgery, where you repeat the pre surgery study tests to check your fitness.
The exercise bike test will not make people exercise harder than they are able. But a doctor will monitor your heart rate, and stop the test if they think there is any strain on your heart.
You will be exposed to a small amount of radiation from the DEXA scan, but only the same amount as you would get from sitting outside for a day.
Possible side effects of biopsies include
Possible side effects of EPA include
Please note: In order to join a trial you will need to discuss it with your doctor, unless otherwise specified.
Dr John Williams
University of Nottingham
Freephone 0808 800 4040
"I am glad that taking part in a trial might help others on their own cancer journey.”