Lipid replacement therapy: a nutraceutical approach for reducing cancer-associated fatigue and the adverse effects of cancer therapy while restoring mitochondrial function.

Cancer-associated fatigue is one of the most common symptoms in all forms and stages of cancer, yet scant attention is usually given to patients who have symptomatic complaints of fatigue. Cancer-associated fatigue is also associated with cellular oxidative stress, and during cancer therapy, excess drug-induced oxidative stress can limit therapeutic effectiveness and cause a number of side effects, including fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and more serious adverse effects. Cancer-associated fatigue and the chronic adverse effects of cancer therapy can be reduced by lipid replacement therapy using membrane lipids along with antioxidants and enzymatic cofactors, such as coenzyme Q(10), given as food supplements. Administering these nutraceutical supplements can reduce oxidative membrane damage and restore mitochondrial and other cellular functions. Recent clinical trials using cancer and non-cancer patients with chronic fatigue have shown the benefits of lipid replacement therapy in reducing fatigue and restoring mitochondrial electron transport function.