Prostate cancer: fish oil supplements slow its progression

The Omega 3 in fish oil slow down the proliferation of prostate cancer cells and also reduce dietary fat intake. This is demonstrated by a study published in Cancer Prevention Research, which found that this type of diet is better than the typical Western diet. The study’s authors, researchers at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles (USA), point out that this phenomenon is important because the rate of tumor cell division can predict cancer progression. Specifically, the slower the proliferation of these cells, the lower the likelihood that the cancer will spread beyond the prostate, a situation in which treatment becomes more difficult.

The study

The research involved 48 men awaiting radical prostatectomy, a surgical procedure performed in cases of prostate cancer that involves removing this gland and surrounding tissues. Participants were divided into two groups:

- the first was assigned a low-fat diet supplemented with 5 grams of fish oil daily, corresponding to an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 2 to 1;

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

All men followed their assigned diet for a period between 4 and 6 weeks prior to surgery. Parameters monitored included markers of prostate cancer development and progression, cell growth and death. Additionally, researchers tracked the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio in the patients.

The results

The data indicate that although the levels of markers associated with prostate cancer remain unchanged, fish oil intake reduces the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio in both benign and malignant cells. This effect is associated with a decrease and slowing of cell proliferation. Researchers also showed that blood from patients who received fish oil was able to slow the growth of prostate cancer cells grown in the lab. According to the study authors, these results demonstrate that fish oil consumed through diet reaches prostate tissues and that dietary modification can influence the biological mechanisms of prostate cancer and the function of its cells. The action of Omega-3s is believed to be mediated by altering the membrane composition of healthy and neoplastic cells. The researchers plan to extend the study to a larger number of patients, whose health will be monitored over a longer period.    

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