An Omega-3 and Omega-6 Diet Could Enhance Breast Cancer Treatment

A new study shows a diet rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may enhance response to the drug tamoxifen in breast cancer patients. Researchers say they studied mice to determine the effects of a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

For the study the animals were divided into four groups. The first received a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids with a placebo. The second received a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids along with the drug tamoxifen. The third received a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids along with a placebo. The fourth received a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids along with tamoxifen treatment.

It was observed that the animals that received a diet rich in omega-6 fatty acids and tamoxifen had a 66-percent tumor growth inhibition when compared to those on placebo. Mice on the diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and a placebo had about a 48-percent tumor growth inhibition. Those that received a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids along with tamoxifen had a nearly 80-percent tumor growth inhibition.

Researchers say the results of their study have significant clinical implications, suggesting that dietary interventions could be effective at enhancing therapeutic response to a subset of breast cancer tumors resistant to endocrine therapy due to aberrant growth factor signaling.