Clinical trial · Interventional
Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) for Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases
The Effects of Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA) on Biomarkers of Growth and Vascularity in Human Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastases (The EPA for Metastasis Trial)
NCT01070355CI-TRIAL-00005669EMTcompletedPhase 2ClinicalTrials.gov clinicaltrialsProvenance
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is a naturally occuring omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found in oily fish. EPA has anti-colorectal (bowel) cancer activity in experimental models. This trial will test whether EPA reduces markers of tumour growth, and is safe and well tolerated,in patients with colorectal cancer liver metastases awaiting surgery.
Conditions
Conditions (1)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorectal Cancer | Malignant Colorectal Neoplasm | CURATED_BROADER | 0.80 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eicosapentaenoic acid free fatty acid | Drug | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Placebo | Drug | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- PLACEBO_COMPARATOR
- label
- Placebo
- description
- 2 capsules twice daily
- interventionNames
- Drug: Placebo
- type
- ACTIVE_COMPARATOR
- label
- Eicosapentaenoic acid free fatty acid
- description
- 2g daily (2 x 500mg capsules twice daily)
- interventionNames
- Drug: Eicosapentaenoic acid free fatty acid
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Histological Ki67 cancer cell proliferation index
- timeFrame
- at surgery 2-6 weeks after randomisation
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Age greater than or equal to 18 years * Either sex * Liver resection deemed clinically appropriate for management of metastatic colorectal cancer * Duration between decision to perform liver resection and surgery greater than 2 weeks * Ability to give written informed consent and follow study protocol * Telephone contact possible Exclusion Criteria: * Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for colorectal cancer (CRC) liver metastasis * Chemotherapy for any cancer in the previous 3 months * Known bleeding diathesis or anticoagulation therapy * Fish or seafood allergy * Use of fish oil supplements (eg. cod liver oil) and unwilling to stop for the duration of the study * Pregnancy * Non-aspirin non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) or corticosteroid use * Renal impairment (serum creatinine \>150) * Active inflammatory disease (e.g. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Rheumatoid Arthritis).
References
Publications (1)
- DERIVEDCockbain AJ, Volpato M, Race AD, Munarini A, Fazio C, Belluzzi A, Loadman PM, Toogood GJ, Hull MA. Anticolorectal cancer activity of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid. Gut. 2014 Nov;63(11):1760-8. doi: 10.1136/gutjnl-2013-306445. Epub 2014 Jan 27. PMID 24470281