10914
0
Posted on Oct 20, 2010, 6 a.m.
While Canadian researchers show that fish may not protect men from developing prostate cancer, they do find it may reduce their risk of dying from the disease.
Previous studies have shown that the omega-3 fatty acids in oily fish and fish oil supplements may slow cancer progression by reducing inflammation and by a variety of other mechanisms. Konrad M. Szymanski, from McGill University Health Center (Quebec, Canada), and colleagues completed a meta-analysis of 31 published studies of prostate cancer, including 12 case-control studies involving 5,777 cases. While the team found no link between eating fish and men's risk of developing prostate cancer, they did observe that men who ate more fish were 44% less likely to develop metastatic prostate cancer. Higher fish consumption also was associated with a 63% lower risk of dying from prostate cancer. The researchers suggest that fish consumption may reduce prostate cancer mortality by reducing men's likelihood of developing metastatic disease, positing that the anti-inflammatory effect of the oils present in fish oils may play a critical role.
Konrad M Szymanski, David C Wheeler, Lorelei A Mucci. “Fish consumption and prostate cancer risk: a review and meta-analysis.” Am J Clin Nutr, Sept. 15, 2010.
