Dietary conjugated linoleic acid and long-chain n-3 fatty acids in mammary and prostate cancer protection: a review

Abstract

The role of dietary fatty acids on cancer is still controversial. To examine the current literature on the protective role of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and marine long-chain fatty acids [eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] and the risk of breast and prostate cancer, data from 41 case-control and cohort studies and relevant in vitro and animal experiments were included in this 2000–2010 revision. Epidemiological studies on CLA intake or its tissue concentration related to breast and prostate tumorigenesis are not conclusive; EPA and DHA intake have shown important inverse associations just in some studies. Additional research on the analysed association is required.

Keywords::

• n-6 and n-3 fatty acids
• conjugated linoleic acid
• eicosapentaenoic acid
• docosahexaenoic acid
• breast cancer

Acknowledgements

The authors thank the following funding institutions: Secretaría de Ciencia y Tecnología, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (N°069/08) and the Ministry of Science and Technology, Province of Córdoba, Argentina (N°121/08).

Declaration of interest: The authors contributed to the writing of the manuscript and have approved its final version. The authors report no declarations of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.