The seAFOod Polyp Prevention Trial
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A randomised controlled trial of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and/or aspirin for colorectal adenoma (or polyp) prevention during colonoscopic surveillance in the NHS Bowel Cancer Screening Programme: The seAFOod (Systematic Evaluation of Aspirin and Fish Oil) polyp prevention trial.
IRAS ID
50787
Contact name
Mark Hull
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Eudract number
2010-020943-10
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN05926847
Research summary
The purpose of the Trial is to determine if treatment with a type of fish oil, on its own or in combination with aspirin, can prevent the development of bowel polyps in patients who have already had bowel polyps removed. This will be compared to receiving neither treatment. Eicosapentaenoic acid (or EPA for short) is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid found naturally in oily fish like mackerel. Aspirin has been used widely as a pain-killer and for symptoms of fever for nearly a century
Currently the standard treatment to identify and remove bowel polyps is a colonoscopy. The removal of bowel polyps reduces future bowel cancer risk but, it is not 100% effective at preventing bowel cancer. That is why this trial wants to find a more effective way to reduce bowel polyps and so reduce future bowel cancer risk. One option is to treat patients with drugs or food supplements (this is called chemoprevention) in combination with colonoscopy. It is hoped that chemoprevention may reduce the number of colonoscopies needed to reduce bowel polyp and cancer risk, and may even remove the need for repeat colonoscopy in some patients.
It has been shown that EPA can reduce the number and size of bowel polyps in patients with a rare hereditary condition. These patients have multiple bowel polyps, which are similar to the more common polyps (called ‘sporadic’) which the participants in this trial have had removed. EPA is a natural substance that is safe and well tolerated. It is a component of omega-3 fish oil that has shown to have beneficial effects on the heart. Regular aspirin use is known to prevent bowel polyps and bowel cancer but the best dose has not yet been identified. It is also not known which patients would benefit most from treatment with aspirin.
REC name
East Midlands - Derby Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
10/H0405/90
Date of REC Opinion
24 Nov 2010
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion