Randomized clinical trial of omega-3 fatty acid-supplemented enteral nutrition versus standard enteral nutrition in patients undergoing oesophagogastric cancer surgery

Study answer

What this study found

Omega-3 enriched enteral nutrition increased plasma and lymphocyte omega-3 fatty acid levels, but it did not improve immune function or postoperative clinical outcomes. HLA-DR expression on monocytes was not different between groups (P=0.538) and HLA-DR on activated T lymphocytes was also not different (P=0.204); infective complications, morbidity (P=0.646), mortality (P=1.000), and hospital stay (P=0.701) likewise showed no between-group benefit. Although the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio on the day before surgery was lower in the omega-3 group (1.9:1 vs 4.1:1 vs 4.8:1, P<0.001), the authors…

Study & population

This was a multicenter randomized clinical trial in patients with histologically proven oesophageal or gastric malignancy undergoing subtotal oesophagectomy or total gastrectomy.

Intervention

The active intervention was perioperative omega-3 fatty acid-enriched enteral nutrition given orally/enterally as Oxepa for 7 days before and 7 days after oesophagogastric cancer surgery.

Key limitation

Clinical benefit was not demonstrated despite clear biochemical changes, suggesting limited translation from biomarker effects to outcomes.

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Original abstract