Trial reportBreast cancer research and treatment2018
Randomized placebo-controlled pilot trial of omega 3 fatty acids for prevention of aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal pain.
Trial report in Breast cancer research and treatment, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 22 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
22 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Role of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Modulating Inflammation and Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review of In Vitro, Animal, and Human Studies.Current oncology reports · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of macro- and micronutrient intake on bone mineral density, osteoporotic fracture risk, inflammation, and functional rehabilitation outcomes in orthopedic patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Nutrition Interventions in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Symptoms during Cancer Therapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) · 2025Pooled it
- Impact of Dietary Supplements on Clinical Outcomes and Quality of Life in Patients with Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on chronic pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2025Pooled it
- Systemic therapies for preventing or treating aromatase inhibitor-induced musculoskeletal symptoms in early breast cancer.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Trial
- Omega-3 fatty acid use for obese breast cancer patients with aromatase inhibitor-related arthralgia (SWOG S0927).Breast cancer research and treatment · 2018Trial
- Current Evidence on the Impact of Diet, Food, and Supplement Intake on Breast Cancer Health Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Endocrine Therapy.Nutrients · 2025Review
- Low sucrose diets protect long-term memory and EPA & DHA enriched diets alter insulin resistance in a mouse model of chemotherapy.Nutrition research (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Article
- Aromatase inhibitor-induced arthralgia ameliorated by Mediterranean diet and active lifestyle guided by continuous glucose monitoring: a case report and review of the literature.Frontiers in oncology · 2024Article
- Clinical guidelines for managing menopausal symptoms in women with (a history of) breast cancer.Facts, views & vision in ObGyn · 2023Article
- Aromatase Inhibitor Musculoskeletal Syndrome and Bone Loss: a Review of the Current Literature.Current oncology reports · 2023Review
- Effects of plant-based versus marine-based omega-3 fatty acids and sucrose on brain and liver fatty acids in a mouse model of chemotherapy.Nutritional neuroscience · 2022Article
- Sulindac Improves Stiffness and Quality of Life in Women Taking Aromatase Inhibitors for Breast Cancer.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2022Article
- Herbal Medicine for Pain Management: Efficacy and Drug Interactions.Pharmaceutics · 2021Review
- Aromatase Inhibitor-Associated Musculoskeletal Syndrome: Understanding Mechanisms and Management.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2021Review
- Aromatase Inhibitors-Induced Musculoskeletal Disorders: Current Knowledge on Clinical and Molecular Aspects.International journal of molecular sciences · 2020Review
- Article
- The Effects of Doxorubicin-based Chemotherapy and Omega-3 Supplementation on Mouse Brain Lipids.Metabolites · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
16 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
purposeAromatase inhibitor (AI)-induced joint symptoms negatively impact drug adherence and quality of life in breast cancer survivors. Mechanisms underlying symptoms may include inflammation. It is hypothesized that n - 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have anti-inflammatory properties and may reduce symptoms.
methodsWe conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study comparing 4.3 g/day n - 3 PUFA supplements vs placebo for 24 weeks in postmenopausal breast cancer patients starting adjuvant AIs. Primary endpoints were adherence and tolerability; secondary outcomes included inflammatory cytokines and symptoms assessed by the Brief Pain Inventory short form (BPI-SF) and Functional Assessment of Cancer Treatment-Endocrine Symptoms (FACT-ES) at 0, 12, and 24 weeks.
resultsForty-four women were randomized, of which 35 completed the study. Adherence was ≥ 88% based on these 35 patients with pill counts as well as change in red blood cell (RBC) n - 3 PUFAs. Common toxicities included grade 1 flatulence (55% of both groups) and belching (45% of n - 3 group). Mean pain severity scores (BPI-SF) did not change significantly by time or treatment arm. Quality of life, based on FACT-ES scores, significantly decreased within placebo (p = 0.04), but not the n - 3 group (p = 0.58), with a trend toward between-group differences (p = 0.06) at 12 weeks, but no significant differences at 24 weeks. RBC n - 3 levels were strongly positively correlated with FACT-ES at 12 weeks, but attenuated at 24 weeks.
conclusionHigh-dose n - 3 PUFA supplementation is feasible and well tolerated when administered with AIs. Additional studies are needed to evaluate efficacy in prevention of joint symptoms.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.