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Omega 3 intake linked to lower risk for death from colorectal cancer
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Higher intake of omega 3 fatty acids from oily fish after a diagnosis of colorectal cancer was associated with a reduced risk for cancer-specific mortality, according to the results of a prospective study published in Gut.
“If the findings can be reproduced in other studies, patients with bowel cancer might benefit from boosting their oily fish intake to help prolong their survival,” according to a press release.
Previous research has shown omega 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) — specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) —can suppress tumor growth and angiogenesis, enhance antitumor effects of chemotherapy in CRC and inhibit cancer-related cachexia.
Therefore, Andrew T. Chan, MD, MPH, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and program director of the gastroenterology training program at Massachusetts General Hospital, Charles S. Fuchs, MD, MPH, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and director of the gastrointestinal cancer center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and colleagues evaluated the association between marine omega 3 PUFAs and survival in patients with CRC.
Andrew T. Chan
Charles S. Fuchs
They assessed 1,659 patients with CRC within the Nurses’ Health Study and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study who completed medical history and lifestyle questionnaires every 2 years and food frequency questionnaires every 4 years from 1984 through 2010. During a median follow-up of 10.4 years, 561 patients died, 169 of whom died from CRC.
“Participants with higher intake of marine [omega 3] PUFAs were more likely to be physically active, to take multivitamins, to drink alcohol and to consume more vitamin D and fiber, and were less likely to smoke,” the researchers wrote. These factors are all associated with a lower risk for bowel cancer, according to the press release.
After CRC diagnosis, higher intake of marine omega 3 PUFAs was associated with a dose-dependent reduction in CRC-specific mortality (P for trend = .03). Patients who consumed at least 0.3 g/day had a 41% lower risk for CRC-specific mortality compared with those who consumed less than 0.1 g/day (adjusted HR = 0.59; 95% CI, 0.35-1.01).
Moreover, those who increased their consumption by at least 0.15 g/day after their diagnosis had a 70% lower risk for CRC-specific mortality (HR = 0.3; 95% CI, 0.14-0.64) compared with those who changed their consumption by less than 0.02 g/day. Conversely, those who reduced their consumption by the same amount had a 10% increased risk (HR = 1.1; 95% CI, 0.59-2.08; P for trend < .001), and a similar pattern was observed for all-cause mortality (P for trend = .03).
Omega 3 PUFAs “derived from foods and supplements both showed an inverse association with CRC-specific mortality, although the statistical power was limited for the analysis of supplemental fish oil due to lower prevalence of use,” the researchers wrote. The associations were also particularly strong in patients who were tall, had a BMI less than 25 kg/m2 and did not regularly take aspirin.
Researchers did not find an association between all-cause mortality and marine omega 3 PUFA consumption after CRC diagnosis.
Although the observational nature of the study cannot demonstrate causality, “our findings provide novel evidence for the potential benefit of increasing marine [omega 3] PUFA consumption among patients with CRC,” the researchers concluded. – by Adam Leitenberger
Disclosures: Chan reports he previously served as a consultant for Bayer Healthcare, Pozen and Pfizer for work unrelated to this study. Fuchs and the remaining researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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