Fatty Oils Treat Breast Cancer
Reported June 13, 2005
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — New research shows a substance found in oily fish, like salmon or tuna, could be combined with a common anesthetic to treat breast cancer. Tests show the substance, omega-3, when combined with the anesthetic propofol can stop breast cancer cells from becoming malignant.
The findings suggest the two chemicals could be combined to create a new family of cancer-fighting drugs.
Dr. Rafat Siddiqui, from the Methodist Research Institute and Indiana University in Indianapolis, and his colleagues conducted the research. The scientists tested the chemical combinations on breast cancer cells in a lab. Their findings are reported in the current issue of the journal Breast Cancer Research.
Alone, the two chemicals are known to have minimal impact on cancer cells. Propofol is an antioxidant. Tests have shown it can only inhibit cancer cell migrations by 5 percent to 10 percent. However, when propofol is combined with the fatty acid, cell migration is inhibited by 50 percent.
The authors conclude that when combined, the two chemicals display unique cancer-fighting properties not found when the chemicals are alone. So far, testing has only been done on breast cancer cells in a lab. The researchers say more testing is needed in the lab in different types of breast cancer as well as cancers from other parts of the body.
SOURCE: Breast Cancer Research, 2005: R645-R654
