Positive Health Online

Abstract

BAGGA and colleagues, Division of Hematology-Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA, have described polyunsaturated essential fatty acids in breast adipose tissue from women with and without breast cancer.

Background

Animal studies suggest that polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega-6 class (n-6 class), found in corn and safflower oil, may give rise to metabolites that promote the development of mammary tumours, whereas omega-3 (n-3) polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in fish oils, can inhibit these effects. This study was designed to examine the relationship between the polyunsaturated fatty acids found in breast fatty tissue and the risk of breast cancer; specifically to test the hypothesis that breast cancer is positively associated with the content of linoleic acid and arachidonic acid, and negatively correlated with the content of eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acids in breast adipose tissue.

Methodology

Breast adipose tissue was collected from 73 breast cancer patients and 74 controls with macromastia. The fatty acid levels were determined using gas-liquid chromatography. A logistic regression model was used to obtain odds ratio estimates.

Results

The age-adjusted n-6 polyunsaturate content was significantly higher in cancer patients than in controls (p = 0.02). There was a trend in the data suggesting that, at a given level of n-6 polyunsaturates, n-3 polyunsaturates may have a protective effect (p = 0.06).

Conclusion

Total n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be contributing to breast cancer in the USA, and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, found in oily fish, may have a protective effect

References

Bagga D, Anders KH, Wang HJ, Glaspy JA. Long-chain n-3-to-n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid ratios in breast adipose tissue from women with and without breast cancer. Nutrition and Cancer 42 (2): 180-185, 2002.