Abstract
Aim: To study the effects of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) on prostate-specific antigen (PSA) failure in prostate cancer patients who underwent prostatectomy. Patients and Methods: Sixty-two prostate cancer patients whose PSA levels were less than 0.2 ng/ml 3 months after surgery were randomized to either an EPA group (n=32) or a control group (n=30). EPA (2.4 g/day) was administered in the EPA group for 2 years. PSA was measured every two months. Results: The EPA concentration increased but the docosahexaenoic acid concentration decreased significantly (P<0.001) in erythrocytes. The PSA recurrence rates during a mean follow-up of 53.8 months were not different between the two groups (p=0.16). Conclusion: A longer and/or larger intervention or docosahexaenoic acid supplementation might be necessary to identify significant preventive effects of mega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on PSA recurrence.
Footnotes
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Conflict of Interest
EPA ethyl ester capsules (Epadel-S®) and research funds were provided by Mochida Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Tokyo, Japan) to each institute.
- Copyright © 2010 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved