Dietary intake of fish, polyunsaturated fatty acids, and survival after breast cancer: A population-based follow-up study on Long Island, New York

BACKGROUNDIn laboratory experiments, -3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been found to reduce inflammatory eicosanoids resulting from -6 PUFA metabolism via competitive inhibition, and the -3-induced cytotoxic environment increases apoptosis and reduces cell growth in breast cancer cells. To the authors' knowledge, epidemiologic investigations regarding whether dietary -3 PUFA intake benefits survival after breast cancer are limited and inconsistent. METHODSThe authors used resources from a population-based follow-up study conducted on Long Island, New York, among 1463 women newly diagnosed with first primary breast cancer who were interviewed an average of approximately 3 months after diagnosis to assess risk and prognostic factors, including dietary intake (using a food frequency questionnaire). Vital status was determined through 2011, yielding a median follow-up of 14.7 years and 485 deaths. Adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were estimated using Cox proportional hazards regression. RESULTSAll-cause mortality was reduced among women with breast cancer reporting the highest quartile of intake (compared with never) for tuna (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55-0.92), other baked/broiled fish (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58-0.97), and the dietary long-chain -3 PUFAs docosahexaenoic acid (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.55-0.92) and eicosapentaenoic acid (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58-0.97). CONCLUSIONSAll-cause mortality was reduced by 16% to 34% among women with breast cancer who reported a high intake of fish and long-chain -3 PUFAs. Long-chain -3 PUFA intake from fish and other dietary sources may provide a potential strategy to improve survival after breast cancer. Cancer 2015;121:2244-2252. (c) 2015 American Cancer Society.