A study conducted in Canada on patients with non-small cell lung cancer revealed the benefits of fish oil. When receiving chemotherapy, cancer patients often experience weight loss, one of the major side effects. In a ten week study the patients who took fish oil lost little weight and some even gained weight. Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids which also helped the chemotherapy patients maintain muscle mass.
Chemo patients often experience a loss of appetite which causes a decrease in weight. Weight loss diminishes the patients’ quality of life and inhibits healing due to the lack of nutrition. Chemotherapy is the common treatment for cancer patients including those suffering from mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma is a form of lung cancer which invades the lining of the lungs called the mesothelium and the heart. Mesothelioma has a high mortality rate and affects thousands per year. To date the treatments for mesothelioma are chemotherapy and radiation, no drugs are found to aid treatment. Many cancers cannot be attributed to a specific cause but mesothelioma is different.
Studies have found that the direct cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos was used by the construction industries throughout the last century. Although it is naturally occurring the toxic compound was prohibited once its link to mesothelioma was discovered. Asbestos is still present in many buildings and construction workers along with renovators risk exposure. Individuals who worked in shipyards and handled asbestos are also at risk for contracting mesothelioma.
