Catching cancer early and treating it fast is one of the leading drivers of investment, research, and study in the field of cancer research. With so many affected by cancer every year, clinical trials indicating actionable steps for patients, while not necessarily a cure, can still be a lifeline. The concern for many with cancer is the threat of metastasizing, or fast-growing tumors unwilling to be halted. But are there other considerations in what could play a role in the progression of cancer? Dr. William Aronson, a Professor at UCLA in the Department of Urology, has dedicated years to the study of how Omega-3s, a type of fatty acid easily found in fish, can be used within a diet to slow the progression of prostate cancer. His recent study, titled High Omega-3, low Omega-6 diet with fish oil for men with prostate cancer on active surveillance: the CAPFISH-3 randomized clinical trial, can be found on the Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) website.
Dr. Aronson’s work typically focuses on the quantity of dietary fat, omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil, caloric restriction, green tea, and lycopene in a diet. He conducts clinical research on the role of these nutritional elements in the treatment of prostate cancer. His research has focused on the general efficacy of incorporating these elements into one’s diet. And what he’s found seems to be positive.
“The background is that in our animal models and in prior short-term clinical studies, we’ve clearly seen the potential for dietary fat changes combined with fish with Omega-3 fats for delaying prostate cancer progression,” Aronson said.
His studies, which date back more than 25 years, are driven by this look into how diet affects one’s health, while having a type of mindset of “you are what you eat.”
“There have been epidemiologic studies suggesting that increased fish intake delays the progression of prostate cancer,” Aronson said. “The studies for prevention are actually less clear, but there are very nice prior studies that involve fish intake for delaying progression.”
In this case, the studies conducted showed results of how increased fish intake, while lowering fat intake of ingredients, such as corn oil, safflower oil, and fried foods, significantly lowered the biomarker protein Ki-67, which can predict prostate cancer progression. Ki-67 is a protein on the surface of cancer cells which is a marker for cells actively dividing and the cancer growing. Prostate cancers with higher Ki-67 levels are more likely to spread outside the prostate leading to cancer progression and limiting life expectancy
Dr. Aronson’s study observed the rates of Ki-67 significantly declined because of the changed diet.
“We found that through this dietary intervention, which involved increased fish intake, we were able to lower the Ki-67 level in prostate cancer cells in these patients, as compared to a control group,” Aronson said.
Dr. Aronson said in prior studies, he and his team found that the omega-3 fats actually inhibit a cell in the immune system that prostate cancer uses to promote its own growth. They are interested in applying this favorable effect of fish-derived omega-3 fats in future clinical trials with the hope of slowing the progression of more advanced prostate cancer.
Ultimately, these studies and clinical trials are encouraging dietary changes in the hope of slowing the progression of this cancer, which is the second leading cause of cancer in men. Due to its high prevalence, Aronson said the key is to share these findings with clinicians and patients who might benefit from them.
For Dr. Aronson, these clinical trials are the culmination of years of hard work. Working with funding from the National Cancer Institute and private donors has all led up to the end results of this particular trial.
“To see our positive findings was so gratifying,” Aronson said. “In that moment when the statisticians let us know our favorable results, that was really among the most exciting moments in my career. We believe our findings will be of tremendous benefit to our patients with prostate cancer.”
Dr. Aronson and his team are presently analyzing the samples from the patients, both blood and tissue samples, to further understand exactly how the fish-based intervention had such a positive impact.
“We’ve got some hard work ahead of us,” Aronson said. “Our findings were positive, but there’s more work to be done.”
Science and technology are ever evolving, and Aronson isn’t stopping here. He believes the future will hold more concrete ways of prevention and treatment for cancer with diet and lifestyle changes. For now, Aronson’s findings help create hope. It is exciting that incorporating more seafood, one of the easiest meals to cook, into one’s diet can have benefits that go past the usual health food conversations and potentially have a direct impact on the progression of prostate cancer.