Eating Oily Fish May Enhance the Survival Rate in Bowel Cancer Patients

A recent study has led to ground-breaking discovery that the consumption of oily fish in people suffering from bowel cancer can increase the likelihood of survival. This fact has been attributed to the omega 3 fatty acids which are present in rich amounts in oily fish and are responsible for inhibition of the growth of cancerous cells. 

The research was carried out by scientists from Harvard Medical School, Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was funded by US National Institutes of Health along with some charities. The study was later published in Gut. 

This prospective cohort study involved 1,659 patients of bowel cancer and spanned a period of 10 years. The researchers examined the data obtained from 1984 and 1986 until 2012. The method of data collection that was employed included detailed questionnaires about the lifestyle, especially diet, and the health status of the patients diagnosed with bowel cancer. 
The basic aim of the study was to determine the exact amount of oily fish that could be beneficial for patients of bowel cancer. The scientists studied the consumption of whole fish as well the fish oil supplements. The possibility of dying from other cause was also explored in these individuals. The results of the study were adjusted for various confounding factors such as other causes of death, age, ethnicity, exercise and smoking. 

Consumption of Oily Fish Prolongs Survival in Bowel Cancer Patients

Of the 1,659 patients included in the study, 561 died during the course of research. Out of these patients, 169 died as a result of bowel cancer whereas others died due to cardiovascular disorders and other kinds of cancers. 

The researchers determined that the odds of death in patients of bowel cancer who ate oily fish were greatly reduced. At the same time, it was concluded that the consumption of oily fish did not reduce the likelihood of death from other causes. However, the scientists felt a dire need to conduct further research in order to confirm these results and to rule out the confounding effect of other lifestyle factors.
The researchers stipulated that patients who ate at least 0.3 grams of oily fish daily carried 41% lesser risk of dying from bowel cancer as compared to those who consumed less than 0.1 grams of oily fish on a daily basis. No variation was discovered for the risk of dying from other causes. The study effectively ascertained the role of oily fish consumption in reducing the risk of bowel-cancer related mortality.  

Recommendations 

The scientists deduced that since the number of patients included in the study was too small, further research is needed in order to establish these facts. Furthermore, this study did not establish a cause-and-effect relationship between survival after the diagnosis of bowel cancer and the consumption of oily fish. 
It was established that consuming oily fish on a regular basis can help reduce the risk of death from bowel cancer by up to 70%. The researchers recommend eating two portions of oily fish on a weekly basis in order to boost the chances of survival.