Many mesothelioma patients are curious about what supplements they can take to improve their treatment. According to Cancer Therapy Advisor, fish oil may play a beneficial role to many cancer patients.

Some research suggests that fish oil can help improve the outcome of patients during or even after treatment.

Fish oil may help improve a patient’s
  • Response rate
  • Side effects
  • Quality of life

This supplement is thought to help greatly with improving the outcomes of chemotherapy treatment. Some studies have linked it to helping with preventing toxicity and tumor progression in patients.

What is Fish Oil?


About 18.8 million adults in the United States use fish oil. This natural supplement is created by using the tissues of oily fish. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

These types of acids help
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Restrict tumor growth
  • Destruct cancer cells

Patients can get the benefits of fish oil by taking it in the form of a pill, liquid, or by eating fish.

Some fish that are rich in omega-3s are
  • Sardines
  • Salmon
  • Tuna
  • Herring

If a patient isn’t a fan of fish or of taking supplements, there are other ways that they can get the health perks associated with fish oil. They can do this by consuming other types of foods that are rich in omega-3 acids.

Some foods that are rich in omega-3s are
  • Walnuts
  • Chia seeds
  • Kale
  • Egg yolks

Should Mesothelioma Patients Take Supplements?

Supplements are used popularly in integrative medicine. They are thought to help strengthen a patient’s system and to ease their side effects that are associated with chemotherapy and radiation treatment.

The MD Anderson Cancer Center believes that “You should approach herbal supplements with caution and speak with your doctor before taking any, whether you’re considering a pill, capsule, tablet or liquid form.”

Many supplements are capable of interfering with a patient’s cancer treatment. It is very important that a patient speaks with their doctor or dietician if they are considering adding any to their diet plan.

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Show Sources & Author

  1. Fish Oil and Cancer. Cancer Therapy Advisor. Retrieved from: http://www.cancertherapyadvisor.com/fact-sheets/cancer-fish-oil-fact-sheet/article/696610/. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  2. Omega-3. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Retrieved from: https://www.mskcc.org/cancer-care/integrative-medicine/herbs/omega-3. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  3. 13 Fish Oil Benefits Proven Beyond Medicine. Dr. Axe. Retrieved from: https://draxe.com/fish-oil-benefits-health/. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  4. Use of Complementary Health Approaches in the U.S. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Retrieved from: https://nccih.nih.gov/research/statistics/NHIS/2012/natural-products/omega3. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  5. Do Omega-3s and Antioxidants Fight Cancer?. WebMD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/cancer/features/antioxidants-omega3s. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  6. Omega-3 fatty acids. University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from: http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/omega3-fatty-acids. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  7. 15 Omega-3 Foods Your Body Needs Now. Dr. Axe. Retrieved from: https://draxe.com/omega-3-foods/. Accessed: 10/05/2017.
  8. Herbal supplements: Health or hype?. MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved from: https://www.mdanderson.org/publications/focused-on-health/june-2014/herbal-supplements.html. Accessed: 10/06/2017.
  9. Vitamins and Supplements for Cancer Patients. WebMD. Retrieved from: https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/cancer-supplements#1. Accessed: 10/06/2017.

About the Writer, Nicole Godfrey

Nicole Godfrey is the Senior Content Writer for Mesothelioma Guide. She writes and edits pages to make sure that mesothelioma patients and their families receive the most current and significant information about mesothelioma.