Fish Oil Disappoints Vs. Cancer

(CBS/AP)  Fish oil, seen as beneficial for reducing heart disease risks, probably doesn't help prevent cancer, according to a review of studies involving more than 700,000 patients.

Researchers examined data from 38 studies that tracked patients for up to 30 years, and said most showed there is no cancer protection from omega-3 fatty acids. Although a few studies found some risk reduction for cancers of the breast, prostate and lung, those studies were relatively small and not definitive, said Dr. Catherine MacLean, the lead author and a researcher at the Rand Corp. and Greater Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Healthcare System.

"It doesn't mean that omega-3 fatty acids don't have other health benefits — it's just that reducing cancer risk isn't one of them," MacLean said.

"We know that omega-3 fatty acids are very good for the cardiovascular system. That's really not in question," medical correspondent Dr. Emily Senay

said

on The Early Show Thursday. "We know it can protect against heart disease. We know it can help reduce the risk of sudden death. It can lower triglycerides, lower blood pressure and reduce rheumatoid arthritis symptoms. Not only that, omega-3 fatty acids are found in foods we know are healthy in general.

"So we definitely want to continue to include these in our diets, even if we don't see at this time a benefit to the reduction in cancer."

However, the review is unlikely to be the last word on the issue. Diet is known to play a role in cancer and the researchers evaluated observational studies, which provide mostly circumstantial evidence.

The reviewed studies examined the effects of fish oil — in both pill form and as food — on 11 kinds of cancer, mostly tumors of the breast, colon, lung or prostate.

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