n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and colon cancer prevention

Roynette, Catherine E; Calder, Philip C; Dupertuis, Yves Marc; Pichard, Claude

doi:10.1016/j.clnu.2003.07.005

Scientific article

Review

English

n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and colon cancer prevention

Contributors

Roynette, Catherine E; Calder, Philip C; Dupertuis, Yves Marc

; Pichard, Claude

Published in

Clinical nutrition, vol. 23, no. 2, p. 139-151

Publication date

2004

Abstract

Summary The incidence of colon cancer in industrialised countries has increased since the early 1970s. It is estimated that more than one-third of cases are associated with factors related to a Western diet. Both the type and amount of dietary fats consumed have been implicated in colon cancer aetiology. Recent studies have demonstrated that n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), commonly found in fish oil (FO), could prevent colon cancer development. Evidences show that n-3 PUFAs act at different stages of cancer development and through several mechanisms including the modulation of arachidonic acid-derived prostaglandin synthesis, and Ras protein and protein kinase C expression and activity. As a result, n-3 PUFAs limit tumour cell proliferation, increase apoptotic potential along the crypt axis, promote cell differentiation and possibly limit angiogenesis. The modulatory actions of n-3 PUFAs on the immune system and their anti-inflammatory effects might also play a role in reducing colon carcinogenesis. There remains, nevertheless, some ambiguity over the safety of n-3 PUFAs with respect to secondary tumour formation. However, it appears that n-3 PUFAs may be of use in colon cancer prevention.

Keywords

Colon cancer
N-3 Fatty acids
Immuno-modulatory nutrition
Prevention

UNIGE affiliation entities

Faculté de médecine / Section de médecine clinique / Département de médecine

UNIGE research groups

Nutrition clinique (597)

Citation (ISO format)

ROYNETTE, Catherine E et al. n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and colon cancer prevention. In: Clinical nutrition, 2004, vol. 23, n° 2, p. 139–151. doi: 10.1016/j.clnu.2003.07.005

Article (Published version)

Identifiers

PID : unige:74264
DOI : 10.1016/j.clnu.2003.07.005
PMID : 15030953

Journal ISSN

0261-5614

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n-3 Polyunsaturated fatty acids and colon cancer prevention

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Abstract

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UNIGE research groups

Citation (ISO format)

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First validation

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