A study published in the February 1 2006 issue of the journal Cancer Research reported that the addition of an omega-6 fatty acid to cultured prostate cancer cells doubled their growth rate compared to untreated prostate cancer cells. Omega-6 fatty acids are found in corn and other oils, and while they are essential, some researchers believe that the high level of omega 6 relative to omega-3 fatty acids (which are found in fish and other foods) in the modern American diet may be harmful.

Researchers at the San Francisco Veterans Administration Medical Center led by Millie Hughes-Fulford, PhD, based the current investigation on findings from previous research that omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid stimulates the production of an enzyme known as cPLA-2, which produces a chain reaction ending in tumor growth. In the current study, arachidonic acid was found to fuel prostate tumor cell growth by turning on a gene signaling pathway.

"After we added omega-6 fatty acids to the growth medium in the dish, and only omega-6, we observed that tumors grew twice as fast as those without omega-6," Dr Fulford-Hughes explained. "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. We then asked what was turning on those genes, and found that omega-6 fatty acids actually turn on a signal pathway called PI3-kinase that is known to be a key player in cancer."

Dr Hughes-Fulford observed that the rate of prostate cancer in the U.S. has increased along with omega-6 intake. She added, "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. We do not eat deep-fried foods."
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