New Delhi: A new study by the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center highlights the potential of dietary changes to reduce cancer cell growth in men undergoing active surveillance for prostate cancer.
Published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, the research shows that a diet low in omega-6 and high in omega-3 fatty acids, supplemented with fish oil, significantly slowed the growth of prostate cancer cells.
The clinical trial, CAPFISH-3, involved 100 men with low-risk or favourable intermediate-risk prostate cancer who opted for active surveillance. Participants in the intervention group adopted a low omega-6, high omega-3 diet and received fish oil supplements, along with personalized nutritional counselling. After one year, their cancer cell growth, as measured by the Ki-67 index, decreased by 15%, whereas the control group experienced a 24% increase.
“This is an important step toward understanding how diet can potentially influence prostate cancer outcomes,” said Dr. William Aronson, Professor of Urology at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the study’s first author. “Many men are interested in lifestyle changes, including diet, to help manage their cancer and prevent the progression of their disease. Our findings suggest that something as simple as adjusting your diet could potentially slow cancer growth and extend the time before more aggressive interventions are needed.”
Prostate cancer patients often seek strategies to delay treatment, as approximately 50% of men on active surveillance require surgery or radiation within five years. While past research on dietary changes, such as increasing vegetable intake, failed to show significant results, this study suggests that altering fat intake could play a role in delaying disease progression.
Participants in the dietary intervention were counselled on reducing omega-6-rich foods, like fried or processed items, and increasing omega-3 intake through fish such as salmon and supplements. The control group maintained their usual diet without any counselling or fish oil supplementation.
While the study did not find changes in other key cancer progression markers, such as Gleason grade, the findings underscore the need for larger trials to confirm the long-term impact of dietary changes.
“This significant difference suggests that the dietary changes may help slow cancer growth, potentially delaying or even preventing the need for more aggressive treatments,” added Dr. Aronson, who also serves as the Chief of Urologic Oncology at the West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs Medical Center.
Dr. Susanne Henning, senior author and adjunct professor emerita at UCLA, emphasized the need for further exploration: “Our results provide a foundation for additional research to better understand the role of omega-3 fatty acids and reducing omega-6 intake in prostate cancer management.”
The study received support from the National Cancer Institute, the UCLA Health Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, Howard B. Klein, and the Seafood Industry Research Fund.