Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) has been used by researchers to examine whether omega 3 fats can stop weight reduction in post-surgery cancer sufferers.
Scientists at Trinity College Dublin and New York University explored whether a diet rich in one form of the fat - eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) - helps prevent the problem.
Esophageal cancer patients were tested in a double-blind randomised test, with both treatment and control groups.
According to the Irish Medical Times, GC-MS techniques - which separates and enables the identification of molecules - were implemented to study immune cells in the lab and revealed a drop in natural killer cells post-operation in the EPA-fed volunteers.
The investigation found patients receiving the nutritional aid experienced no muscle loss at all, while the individuals in the standard test dropped an average of three pounds each.
"Future studies on the health benefits of EPA supplements in cancer patients should be conducted," said lead of the study Professor John Reynolds.
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