Fish Oil FIghts Colon Cancer

Fish Oil Compound Fights Colon Cancer
May 25, 1999

ORLANDO (Reuters Health) -- The omega-3-fatty acids found in some fish oils
appear to inhibit the growth of colon cancer cells in laboratory studies,
researchers report.

"The growth inhibitory effect was most prominent in rapidly proliferating
(cancer) cells," according to graduate student Angela Jordan and colleagues
at J.W. Goethe University, in Frankfurt, Germany. Jordan presented the
findings at the recent Digestive Disease Week conference of digestive tract
specialists, held in Orlando.

In an interview with Reuters Health, the researcher explained that
omega-3-fatty acids, the main active ingredient in fish oil supplements, have
already shown anticancer potential in malignancies of the breast, pancreas,
and prostate.

In their latest study, the German team introduced two types of human cancer
cells (Caco-2 and COLO-320) to an omega-3-fatty acid emulsion under
laboratory conditions.

According to Jordan, "the omega-3-fatty acids inhibit(ed) the growth of colon
cancer cells." They seemed especially effective against COLO-320, the most
aggressive of the two cancer cell lines, halting all growth within 72 hours
of exposure to the compound. This inhibitory effect appeared to stem from
"both growth arrest and apoptosis (death of cells)," the authors explain.

If further study confirms these findings, Jordan explained that the emulsion
used in the study may be used as a potential secondary treatment for cancer
patients, delivered as an added ingredient in their IV therapy. She also
believes that daily fish oil supplementation may prove to be beneficial in
healthy individuals who hope to reduce their risks for cancer.

Copyright 1999 Reuters Limited.