Eating oily fish could cut breast cancer risk

Eating oily fish could cut breast cancer risk including triple-negative breast cancer, said scientists from Fox Chase Center. Oily fishes including Sardines and Salmon contains abundant levels of Omega-3 fatty acids that can either stop or slow growth of breast cancer cells. However, Omega-3 fatty acids are least effective against luminal cancer cells.                                                                                                                                                  

Several published reports documented the beneficial effects of Omega-3 fatty acids against several cancers. However, the present study confirmed the efficacy of Omega-3 fatty acids present in oily fishes against triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. In-vitro studies confirmed nearly 90% killing of cancer cells by omega-3 fatty acids.

Vegetarian sources such as hemp and flax seeds are also the good source of Omega-3 fatty acids.

Cancer cells are characterized by immortality and abnormal rapid proliferative nature. Cancer cells evade programmed cell death (Apoptosis) by tweaking or evading the self-suicidal mechanism of cell cycle process. Several molecular mechanisms of cancer cells are unknown. The cancer targeting nature of Omega-3 fatty acids adversely affect the abnormal proliferation and programmed cell death of the cell.

According to Dr. Thomas Pogash, Scientific Technician at Fox Chase Cancer Center Lab, the present study confirmed the importance of natural foods that keep dreadful diseases such as cancer at bay.

When compared Western diets with Mediterranean diets, oily fish dishes are of immense importance in the latter. The incidences of cancers are uncommon among Mediterranean dieters, said Thomas.

Cancer cells rapidly uptake Omega-3 fatty acids and digested into smaller biomolecules called active metabolites.

The research team tested the efficacy of large Omega-3 fatty acids and its metabolites on human cell lines including basal-type triple negative cancer cells and luminal cancer cells.

Parent Omega-3 fatty acid molecules and its metabolites effectively prevented cancer cell line proliferation in all cancers. However, dramatic effectiveness was observed in triple-negative cancer cell lines.

Metabolites significantly prevented the motility and proliferative of triple-negative basal cancer cell lines by 20-60%.