Fatty acids for treating pancreatic cancer.
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Fatty Acids, Essential↗
Biomedical subjects
K C Fearon
Publications and source records attributed to K C Fearon.
Protein synthesis in cancer patients with inflammatory response: investigations with [15N]glycine.
It has been proposed that the increase in amino acid flux and derived protein synthesis rates observed in weight-losing cancer patients may contribute to an ongoing negative energy balance. The mediators and tissues responsible for such apparent increased protein synthesis have not been clearly identified. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between protein synthetic rates in whole-body, skeletal muscle, and circulating cortisol concentrations in healthy subjects (n = 6) and cancer patients with evidence of an inflammatory response (n = 6). Protein synthetic rates were measured with a primed continuous 20-h infusion of [15N]glycine. Skeletal muscle was biopsied at laparotomy. Serum cortisol, resting energy expenditure, plasma proteins, nitrogen metabolites in urine, and skeletal muscle free amino acids were also measured. Derived whole-body and skeletal muscle protein synthetic rates in the cancer group were increased significantly (by 70 and 93%, respectively, p < 0.05). Circulating concentrations of cortisol, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein were also significantly increased in the cancer group and indicated the presence of an inflammatory response. However, there was no significant increase in resting energy expenditure. Mechanisms by which apparent increases in whole-body and skeletal protein synthesis do not result in an increase in resting energy expenditure are discussed. We conclude that glycine utilization is increased in cancer patients but that rates of protein synthesis derived from [15N]glycine kinetics may not be valid in such patients.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Flexible approach to nutritional support in severe acute pancreatitis.
Our patient received 104 days of nutritional support via a combination of the enteral and parenteral routes. Although this was not successful in preventing protein loss, it undoubtedly helped to reduce the rate of protein depletion. More important, however, had this intervention not been provided, the patient could not have survived his prolonged and complicated clinical course, which required him to be kept nil by mouth for 120 days.
Acute Disease↗
An open-label phase I/II dose escalation study of the treatment of pancreatic cancer using lithium gammalinolenate.
There are currently no satisfactory treatments for inoperable pancreatic cancer. Median survivals for untreated patients are of the order of 100 days and, with one exception, no chemotherapy or radiotherapy regime has been found to produce a worthwhile extension of life with reasonably tolerable side effects. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) has been found to kill about 40 different human cancer cell lines in vitro without harming normal cells. The lithium salt of GLA (LiGLA) can be administered intravenously and a dose escalation study of a 10 day infusion followed by oral therapy in patients with inoperable pancreatic cancer was carried out in 48 patients in two centres. Peripheral venous infusion caused thrombophlebitis but this could be avoided by infusing via a central vein with appropriate heparinisation. Too rapid infusion caused haemolysis which could be avoided by slow dose escalation in the first few days and maintenance of plasma lithium below 0.8 mmol/l. Doses ranged from 7 to 77g/patient cumulatively delivered over 2-12 days. Other than the above described events there were no important side effects and patients felt well during the infusions. A Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that survival was not significantly influenced by which centre the patients were treated in, the sex of the patients or the presence or absence of histological confirmation. The presence or absence of liver metastases, the patients' Karnofsky scores and the-dose of LiGLA had significant effects on survival from treatment. A Cox proportional hazards model revealed similar results: in both centres, in both sexes, and in patients with and without liver metastases according to the model the highest doses of LiGLA were associated with longer survival times as compared with the lowest doses. LiGLA deserves investigation in a randomised prospective study.
Aged↗