Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 14, 2026

Author Spotlight: Genetic Profiling for Fluorouracil Response in Gastric Cancer
Published on: May 10, 2024
Cod skin peptide reduces chemotherapy-induced toxicity in gastric cancer patients
Li-Ping Wu1, Xiao-Fei Hu1, Hui-Ping Wan2
1The Department of General Surgery, Zhoushan Hospital, Zhoushan, Zhejiang, China.
Background And Objectives:
The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of cod skin peptide (CSPE) on chemotherapy-induced toxicity in gastric cancer patients.
Methods And Study Design:
A cohort of 60 gastric cancer patients for chemotherapy was randomly divided into two groups (n=30 per group), who were orally treated with either supplemental CSPE or placebo apart from chemotherapy. The hematologic and gastrointestinal toxicities experienced by the patients, as well as their Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) as an index of quality of life was evaluated.
Results:
Leukocyte counts and haemoglobin levels were significantly reduced in the group treated with peptide (p<0.05), while gastrointestinal toxicity was not affected (p>0.05). KPS consists of 11 categories of quality of life, and the score denoted in deciles ranges from 100 (asymptomatic, normal function) to 0 (death). The KPS score is used to evaluate a cancer patient's ability to function at work and home, the severity of symptoms, and the patient's need for personal and medical care. Treatment with CSPE significantly improved the quality of life of patients, as indicated by increased KPS scores (p<0.05).
Conclusions:
CSPE can potentially be considered as a food supplement that can be used to improve the quality of life of cancer patients.
Related Concept Videos
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: 5-HT3 Receptor Antagonists
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Cannabinoids
Two synthetic agonists of THC,...
Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Dopamine Receptor Antagonists
Phenothiazines, such as prochlorperazine...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Targeted Cancer Therapies
There are several types of targeted therapies against...