Historical perspective and potential use of n-3 fatty acids in therapy of cancer cachexia

A review of the current status of research on n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic, indicatesthat these fatty acids exhibit protective effects on: (i) the development of carcinogen-induced tumors, the growth of solid tumors, cachexia, and metastatic diseases in experimental models; and (ii) accelerated proliferation of flat human rectal mucosal epithelial cells in individuals at risk for colon cancer, and two biomarkers of risk for breast cancer—leukocyte adenosine diphosphate ribosyl transferase activity and 16-alphahydroxylated estrogen—in women at risk for breast cancer. These research findings, along with epidemiological evidence of an inverse relationship between n-3 fatty acid intake and incidence of some cancers, warrant clinical investigation in the potential benefit of n-3 fatty acids in the prevention and therapy o f cachexia in cancer patients.