Prostate cancer: fish oil supplements slow its development

Omega 3s from fish oil slow the proliferation of prostate cancer cells as well as reduce dietary fat intake. This is shown by a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, which found that this type of diet is better than the typical diet in Western countries. The authors of the study, researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (United States), point to this phenomenon as important because the speed of cancer cell division can predict cancer progression. Specifically, the slower the proliferation of these cells, the less likely it is that the tumor will spread outside the prostate, a situation in which treatment would become more difficult.

The study

The research involved 48 men waiting to undergo radical prostatectomy, a surgery performed in cases of prostate cancer that involves removal of this gland and surrounding tissues. The participants were divided into two groups:

- The former was assigned a low-fat diet supplemented with 5 grams of fish oil per day, corresponding to an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 2 to 1;

- the second followed a typical Western diet, with a ratio of 15 to 1 between the two types of fatty acids.

All men followed the assigned dietary regimen for between 4 and 6 weeks prior to surgery. The parameters that were monitored included some markers of prostate cancer development and progression, growth, and cell death. In addition, the researchers monitored the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in the patients.

The results

The data collected indicate that although the levels of markers associated with prostate cancer remain unchanged, fish oil intake reduces the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 in both benign and malignant cells. This effect is associated with decreasing and slowing cell proliferation. The researchers also showed that the blood of patients who received fish oil is able to slow the growth of prostate cancer cells cultured in the laboratory. According to the authors of the research, these results show thatfish oil taken in the diet reaches prostate tissues and demonstrate that diet modification can influence the biological mechanisms of prostate cancer and the functioning of its cells. The action of Omega-3 would be mediated by altering the membrane composition of healthy and neoplastic cells. The researchers plan to extend the study to more patients, whose health will be monitored over a longer period of time.  

Source 

1. Aronson WJ, Kobayashi N, Barnard RJ, Henning S, Huang M, Jardack PM, Liu B, Gray A, Wan J, Konijeti R, Freedland SJ, Castor B, Heber D, Elashoff D, Said J, Cohen P, Galet C, "Phase II Prospective Randomized Trial of a Low-Fat Diet with Fish Oil Supplementation in Men Undergoing Radical Prostatectomy," Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2011 Dec;4(12):2062-71. Epub 2011 Oct 25