Effects of EPA in Men With Biochemical Recurrence or Progression of Prostate Cancer.

Prostate cancer biochemical recurrence (BCR) occurs in 20-50% of patients following radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy. Due to significant risk of side effects and uncertainty about the benefits, physicians and patients are seeking alternatives to delay androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for non-metastatic BCR. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (LCn3), mainly found in seafood and fatty fish, have beneficial effects against prostate cancer in pre-clinical experimental studies and randomized clinical trials of intermediate prostate cancer outcomes. The current observational evidence also supports testing LCn3 in prostate cancer patients. LCn3 have beneficial effects on inflammation, cardiovascular, psychological, and other outcomes, contrasting sharply with ADT-associated side effects. Investigators propose to conduct a pilot randomized placebo-controlled trial to determine the effects over one year of an innovative LCn3 supplement (5g of omega-3-rich fish oil daily, including 4g of monoglycerides eicosapentaenoic acid (MAG-EPA)) in 40 men experiencing BCR or prostate cancer progression after a curative treatment. This project proposes a simple intervention by dietary supplementation that could eventually help to prevent or delay ADT-related side effects and thus could contribute to diminish the heavy individual and societal burden of prostate cancer. The clinical data generated by this pilot trial will serve as basis for a larger-scale phase II clinical trial.