A new study led by researchers from the Integral JonSSON Oncological Center of UCLA Health (USA) offers New evidence that changes in diet can help reduce cancer cell growth in patients undergoing active surveillancea treatment approach that implies regular cancer monitoring without immediate intervention.
In depth
The findings, published in the ‘Journal of Clinical Oncology‘show that a low diet in omega-6 fatty acids and high in omega-3 fatty acids, combined with fish oil supplements, reduced significantly The growth rate of Prostate cancer cells in men with early stage disease.
“This is an important step to understand how diet can potentially influence the results of prostate cancer,” says the doctor William AronsonUrology professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine of the UCLA and first author of the study. “Many men are interested in changes in lifestyle, including diet, to help control their cancer and prevent the progression of their illness. Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend time before more aggressive interventions are needed. “
Many men with low -risk prostate cancer opt for active surveillance instead of immediate treatment; However, within five years, Approximately 50% of these men will need to undergo surgery or radiation therapy. Because of this, patients are eager to find ways to delay the need for treatment, even through changes in diet or supplements. However, Specific dietary guidelines have not yet been established in this area. While other clinical trials have analyzed the increase in the intake of healthy vegetables and diet patterns, none has found a significant impact on the slowdown in cancer progression.
More details
To determine whether the diet or supplements can play a role in the treatment of prostate cancer, the UCLA team carried out a prospective clinical trial, called Capfish-3, which included 100 men with a favorable risk of prostate cancer who opted for active surveillance. The participants were randomly assigned to continue their normal diet or follow a low diet in Omega-6 and high in Omega-3, supplemented with fish oil, for a year.
The participants of the intervention group received personalized dietary advice from a registered dietary nutritionist, either in person, through telemedicine or by telephone. The healthiest and low -fat alternative patients were told to food with high fat and calories food (how to use olive or lemon oil and vinegar to season salads) and on how to reduce the consumption of foods with the higher omega-6 content (such as fried potatoes, cookies, mayonnaise and other fried or processed foods). The goal was create A favorable balance in its intake of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fats and make participants feel trained to control how their behavior changed. They were also given fish oil capsules to obtain additional Omega-3. The control group did not receive any type of dietary advice or take fish oil capsules.
The researchers tracked the changes in a biomarker called Ki-67 index, which indicates how fast cancer cells are multiplied, a key predictor of cancer progression, metastasis and survival.
To take into account
Biopsy of the same site were obtained at the beginning of the study and again after a year, using a image fusion device that helps and locate cancer sites. The results showed that the group with a low diet In Omega-6, rich in Omega-3 and fish oil had a 15% decrease in the KI-67 index, while the control group experienced an increase of 24%.
“This significant difference suggests that changes in diet can help delay cancer growth, delaying or even potentially preventing the need for more aggressive treatments“, Contributes Aronson, who is also the head of Urological Oncology at the Medical Center for Veterans Affairs of Western Los Angeles and a member of the Integral JonSon Oncological Center of UCLA Health.
Although the results are promisingresearchers found no differences in other cancer growth markers, such as the degree of Gleason, which are used commonly to track the progression of prostate cancer.
Researchers warn that more research is necessary to confirm the long-term benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids and the reduction of Omega-6 levels in the treatment of prostate cancer. The findings support The realization of more larger trials to explore the long -term impact of changes in diet on cancer progression, treatment results and survival rates in men undergoing active surveillance.
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