He prostate cancer is the first most common tumor in men in Spainwith 33,341 cases and 6,112 deaths from this cause (in 2020 data).
Now, a new study reveals that dietary changes, such as taking fish oil supplementscould help reduce the growth of cancer cells that affect the prostate.
The researchers have described it as “an important step toward understanding how diet can influence potentially on prostate cancer outcomes.”
The research, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncologyshowed that a diet low in omega-6 fatty acids and high in omega-3 fatty acids, combined with fish oil supplements, significantly reduced the growth rate of prostate cancer cells in men with early-stage disease.
The doctor William Aronsonprofessor of urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and first author of the study, says, “Many men are interested in making lifestyle changes, including diet, to help control cancer and prevent progression.” of the disease”.
“Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed,” Aronson adds.
The team led by UCLA conducted a prospective clinical trial, called CAPFISH-3, that included 100 men with favorable low- or intermediate-risk prostate cancer who chose active surveillance.
They were then randomly assigned to continue eating their normal diet or follow a diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3, supplemented with fish oilfor one year.
Participants who followed a low-omega-6, high-omega-3 diet received advice from a registered dietitian.
They were advised on healthier, lower-fat alternatives to foods with high fat and calorie content (such as using olive oil or lemon and vinegar to dress salads).
They were also asked to reduce their consumption of foods with higher omega-6 content (usually fried or processed foods).
Participants in this group were also given fish oil capsules for additional omega-3s. The researchers then tracked changes in a biomarker called the Ki-67 indexwhich indicates how quickly cancer cells multiply.
This is a key predictor of cancer progression, metastasis and survival.
After one year, the results showed that the group with a diet low in omega-6, rich in omega-3 and fish oil had a 15% decrease in the Ki-67 index, while the control group saw a 24% increase.
“This significant difference suggests that dietary changes may help slow the growth of cancer, delaying or even potentially preventing the need for more aggressive treatments,” says Aronson, who is also the chief of urologic oncology at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center and a member of the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at UCLA Health.
The researchers cautioned that more research is needed to confirm the long-term benefits of omega-3 fatty acids and the reduction of omega-6 in the prostate cancer treatment.