Fish Oil May Hold Key to Reducing Breast Cancer

SEATTLEA recent study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention adds to the growing evidence that regular use of fish oil supplements may play a role in preventing chronic disease, including breast cancer.

Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle asked 35,016 postmenopausal women who did not have a history of breast cancer to complete a 24-page questionnaire about their use of non-vitamin, non-mineral specialty supplements in the Vitamins and Lifestyle (VITAL) cohort study. After six years of follow-up, 880 cases of breast cancer were identified using the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results registry.

Regular use of fish oil supplements, which contain high levels of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, was linked with a 32-percent reduced risk of breast cancer. The reduction in risk appeared to be restricted to invasive ductal breast cancer, the most common type of the disease.

The use of other specialty supplements, many of which are commonly taken by women to treat symptoms of menopause, was not associated with breast cancer risk.

It may be that the amount of omega-3 fatty acids in fish oil supplements are higher than most people would typically get from their diet, the researches wrote.