Clinical trial · Interventional
Effects of EPA on Prostate Cancer Cells Proliferation and Quality of Life
Étude randomisée, contrôlée, de Phase II, Effets d'un Supplement d'oméga-3 (EPA) Sur l'Inflammation, la prolifération Cellulaire et la qualité de Vie Chez Des Patients Avec Cancer de la Prostate traités Par Prostatectomie Radicale
- 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)
Prostate cancer, the most frequently diagnosed cancer among occidental men, is associated with a major individual and societal burden. Although still controversial, the literature suggests that a high consumption of omega-3 fatty acids (ω3) has protective effects against prostate cancer. One of the proposed mechanisms of action of ω3 lies in their anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, there are some observational evidences suggesting an association of ω3 intake with a lower rate of depression in cancer patients. However, no clinical study has tested the efficacy of ω3 supplementation on psychological and quality of life outcomes in that population. Several evidences point to a possible involvement of inflammation in psychological issues. Reducing the systemic inflammatory state may have beneficial impact on the quality of life of these patients. Preliminary work from this team of investigators, in a cohort of patients managed with active surveillance for their low-grade prostate cancer, show a strong inverse association between the risk of prostate cancer progression (to high-grade) and the level of prostatic eicosapentanoic acid (EPA- a type of ω3). HYPOTHESIS: EPA-rich monoglycerides fish oil (MAG-EPA) has global positive effects on prostate cancer cell proliferation, inflammation and on the patient's psychosocial functioning and quality of life. The investigators propose a double blind, randomized controlled clinical trial. 130 consecutive patients suffering from high-risk prostate cancer who choose to be treated by radical prostatectomy will be eligible to this study. The presence of high-grade cancer will be mandatory. The intervention, a daily supplementation with 3g supplement of fish oil monoglycerides rich in EPA, vs. placebo capsules containing high oleic sunflower oil, will start six weeks before the prostatectomy and will continue for one year after surgery. The potential confounding variables will be measured before the start of the intervention: age, anthropometric parameters, stage and clinical and pathological tumor grade (Gleason score), pre-operative level of prostate specific antigen and diet. This project proposes a simple intervention by dietary supplementation that could eventually help to reduce the incidence and/or progression of prostate cancer, and the consequences of its treatment, and thus could contribute to diminish the heavy individual and societal burden of prostate cancer. The clinical data generated by this trial will serve as solid basis for a large-scale phase III clinical trial.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prostate Cancer | Malignant Prostate Neoplasm | CURATED_EXACT | 0.92 |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPA | Dietary Supplement | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Placebo | Dietary Supplement | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Purified EPA group
- description
- 3g per day of purified EPA, capsules, to be taken once a day, for 14 months.
- interventionNames
- Dietary Supplement: EPA
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Placebo group
- description
- 3 g per day of high-oleic sunflower oil capsules, to be taken once a day, for 14 months.
- interventionNames
- Dietary Supplement: Placebo
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Change in Prostate Cancer Proliferative Index
- timeFrame
- 6 weeks
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- Male
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
Inclusion Criteria: * Prostate cancer (Gleason score \>= 7) * Patient has chosen to undergo radical prostatectomy * Patient agrees to stop taking any omega-3 supplements at least 3 months before the start of the study * Patient has provided informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Allergy to fish and sunflower * Suffering from a bipolar disorder
References
Publications (3)
- DERIVEDRobitaille K, Guertin MH, Jamshidi A, Xu HW, Hovington H, Pelletier JF, Beaudoin L, Gevariya N, Lacombe L, Tiguert R, Caumartin Y, Dujardin T, Toren P, Lodde M, Racine E, Trudel D, Perigny M, Duchesne T, Savard J, Julien P, Fradet Y, Fradet V. A phase IIb randomized placebo-controlled trial testing the effect of MAG-EPA long-chain omega-3 fatty acid dietary supplement on prostate cancer proliferation. Commun Med (Lond). 2024 Mar 22;4(1):56. doi: 10.1038/s43856-024-00456-4. PMID 38519581
- DERIVEDSavard J, Moussa H, Pelletier JF, Julien P, Lacombe L, Tiguert R, Caumartin Y, Dujardin T, Toren P, Pouliot F, Lodde M, Fradet Y, Robitaille K, Fradet V. Effects of omega-3 supplementation on psychological symptoms in men with prostate cancer: Secondary analysis of a double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Cancer Med. 2023 Oct;12(19):20163-20176. doi: 10.1002/cam4.6598. Epub 2023 Oct 3. PMID 37787025
- DERIVEDGuertin MH, Robitaille K, Pelletier JF, Duchesne T, Julien P, Savard J, Bairati I, Fradet V. Effects of concentrated long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation before radical prostatectomy on prostate cancer proliferation, inflammation, and quality of life: study protocol for a phase IIb, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. BMC Cancer. 2018 Jan 10;18(1):64. doi: 10.1186/s12885-017-3979-9. PMID 29321047