(01-04-06) Omega-6: fuel for prostate cancer cells?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Adding arachidonic acid, a common omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, to culture media causes prostate cancer cells to grow twice as fast as usual, according to a report in the Feb.1 issue of Cancer Research.

"Investigating the reasons for this rapid growth, we discovered that the omega-6 was turning on a dozen inflammatory genes that are known to be important in cancer," lead author Dr. Millie Hughes-Fulford, from the San Francisco VA Medical Center, said in a statement.

Further analysis indicated that arachidonic acid was activating these genes through the "PI3-kinase" pathway, which is known to play a key role in the pathogenesis of cancer.

Adding a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug or a PI3-kinase inhibitor to the culture media blocked the arachidonic acid-induced growth of prostate cancer cells.

In light of the current findings, Dr. Hughes-Fulford said she now avoids cooking with corn oil, which is known to be high in omega-6 fatty acids. "I'm not a physician, and do not tell people how to eat, but I can tell you what I do in my own home. I use only canola oil and olive oil."

SOURCE: Cancer Research, February 1, 2006.

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