• 1/31/2006
  • Ketchum, ID
  • staff
  • cancerconsultants.com

Researchers affiliated with the Southern California Evidence-Based Practice Center have reviewed 38 medical publications and concluded that there was no significant association between omega-3 fatty acid intake and the risk of cancer. The details of this report appeared in the January 25, 2006, edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Omega-3 fatty acids have been purported to play a role in the prevention of various cancers. However, the literature is confusing with some studies showing a preventative effect, some showing an increased incidence of some cancers and most showing no effect.

The current study involved 38 articles involving 20 cohorts of patients from 7 different countries. Risks of 11 different cancers were evaluated in several different statistical methods. Of the 11 studies involving breast cancer, one showed a significant increase in risk, 3 showed a decreased risk and 7 showed no effect with increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids. In colorectal cancer, 17 of 18 studies showed no effect of omega-3 fatty acid intake on risk. In lung cancer there were 4 studies that showed no effect, one showed an increased risk and one showed a decreased risk with high intake of omega-3 fatty acids. Similar findings were reported for prostate cancer with 15 of 16 studies showing no effect. The single study of skin cancer showed an increased incidence with increasing intake of omega-3 fatty acids. In other cancers such as head and neck, bladder, ovarian, pancreatic, stomach and lymphoma there was no effect of dietary intake of omega-3 fatty acids on risk. These authors concluded that omega-3 fatty acids did not prevent cancer and that dietary supplementation for this purpose is not effective.

Comments:
Most individuals take omega-3 fatty acids for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and not for the prevention of cancer. The only major concern about omega-3 fatty acid supplements would be evidence that omega-3 fatty acids significantly increased the risk of certain cancers canceling out other potential benefits. However, this does not appear to be the case based on this review.

Reference:
MacLean CH, Newberry SJ, Mojica WA, et al. Effects of omega-3 fatty acids on cancer risk. A systematic review. Journal of the American Medical Association . 2006;295:403-415.