Fish, Omega 3 May Improve Survival from Colon Cancer

Compared with patients who consumed less than 0.1 g of omega-3 fatty acids daily, those who consumed at least 0.3 g daily after their diagnosis, had a 41 per cent lower risk of dying from their disease.

In the study, a team led by Dr. The researchers published their results July 19th in the journal Gut, from the British Society of Gastroenterology.

Previous experimental research had shown that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids could suppress tumour growth and curb blood supply to malignant cells.

The researchers in the current study made a decision to see if consuming eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), three types of omega 3 fatty acids usually found in fish oil, can benefit patients after a bowel cancer diagnosis.

All participants filled in a detailed questionnaire about their medical history and lifestyle factors when they joined the studies, and this was repeated every two years.

Data on what they ate were collected and updated every four years, using Food Frequency Questionnaires.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer diagnosed in the United Kingdom, with around 40,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Of those 561 died, including 169 that died due to the disease, 153 that died due to cardiovascular disease and 113 that died due to other cancers.

Regular intake seemed to be especially beneficial for those who were tall, had a BMI below 25, and who did not take a regular aspirin, who lowered their risk of death by 85 per cent, 90 per cent and 88 per cent respectively.

The observational study suggested that by increasing omega-3 fatty acid intake to at least 0.3 grams daily, there was an associated 41% lower risk of dying from disease.

U.S. experts have found that regularly eating small amounts of these beneficial fish after a diagnosis of bowel cancer could cut the risk of dying from the disease by up to 70 per cent.

Could You Be Mistaking Bowel Cancer For Piles?

Those who had been diagnosed with bowel cancer and whose diets contained higher levels of omega 3 from oily fish, such as salmon and mackerel, had a lower risk of dying from the disease. However those who cut the amount of fish raised their risk of death by 10 per cent.

For those who are not big fish eaters, the good news is that the findings held for foods high in omega 3 and for omega 3 supplements.

The authors concluded: “If replicated by other studies, our results support the clinical recommendation of increasing marine omega-3 PUFAs among patients with bowel cancer”.

“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”. More research will need to determine why omega 3s seem to be linked to a lower risk of bowel cancer death, but the news is promising.

Dr Alister McNeish, Lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Reading said: “The paper provides interesting and robust evidence that high omega-3 intake is associated with improved colorectal cancer survival in those who have been diagnosed with the condition”.

Colon cancer is the third and fourth most common cancer in men and women in the US, respectively. Doctors may also use chemotherapy to treat some colon cancer patients.