The use of a protein and energy dense eicosapentaenoic acid containing supplement for malignancy-related weight loss in children.

What Was Tested

Researchers studied Eicosapentaenoic Acid in this randomized controlled trial publication.

This study evaluated the clinical effects of a protein and energy dense EPA containing nutritional supplement in a group of pediatric cancer patients receiving active chemotherapy treatment.

Who Took Part

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were children, both men and women.

Fifty-two patients diagnosed with pediatric malignant disease and receiving intensive chemotherapy were included.

Thirty-three patients received a nutritional supplement containing EPA in addition to their regular food intake.

How the Study Was Run

The researchers set it up as a randomized and open-label study.

Random assignment meant chance, not the researchers, decided who got Eicosapentaenoic Acid and who got the comparison, which limits bias.

Everyone knew when Eicosapentaenoic Acid was being given (open label), which is simpler to run but leaves more room for expectations to affect what is reported.

The study was a prospective, randomized, single center, open-label design.

Nineteen control patients did not receive supplementation.

What Was Measured

This study evaluated the clinical effects of a protein and energy dense EPA containing nutritional supplement in a group of pediatric cancer patients receiving active chemotherapy treatment.

The subject headings attached to it are Dietary Supplements, Eicosapentaenoic Acid, Neoplasms, Proteins and Weight Loss.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and open-label study of Eicosapentaenoic Acid.

The abstract goes on to report its results in about 3 sentences; this page does not restate them, so read the paper for the findings and their limits.

The publication is from 2009 (Pediatric blood & cancer), a journal based in United States.

More context: all human trials.