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N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of colorectal cancer: meta-analysis of prospective studies

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Abstract

Background

Growing body of laboratory evidence supports the beneficial effects of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on colorectal cancer (CRC) prevention. Epidemiologic studies investigating the relationship between n-3 PUFAs intake and risk of CRC, however, have been inconsistent. We aimed to clarify the relation by conducting a meta-analysis of prospective studies.

Methods

Eligible studies were identified by searching PubMed database and by carefully reviewing bibliographies of retrieved publications. Summary relative risks (RRs) with their 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were computed with a random-effects model. Subgroup, meta-regression, and dose–response analyses were performed to explore potential sources of heterogeneity.

Results

A total of 14 prospective studies involving 8,775 cancer cases were included in the final analysis. Overall, total n-3 or marine PUFAs intake was not associated with risk of CRC (RR 0.99 and 1.00). However, there was a trend toward reduced risk of proximal colon cancer (total n-3 PUFAs: RR 0.83, 95 % CI 0.66–1.05; marine PUFAs: RR 0.81, 95 % CI 0.59–1.10) and a significant increased risk of distal colon cancer (total n-3 PUFAs: RR 1.26, 95 % CI 1.06–1.50; marine PUFAs: RR 1.38, 95 % CI 1.11–1.71). Furthermore, marine PUFAs intake accessed longer before diagnosis was associated 21 % reduced risk of CRC (RR 0.79, 95 % CI 0.63–1.00).

Conclusion

Overall, this meta-analysis finds no relation between n-3 PUFAs intake and risk of CRC. The observed subsite heterogeneity within colon cancer and the possible effect modification by latency time merit further studies.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Ningbo Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 237 Yongfeng Road, Ningbo, 315010, China

    Guo-Chong Chen, Guo-Zhang Xu & Xiao-Huai Wang

  2. Department of Nutrition and Food Hygiene, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Li-Qiang Qin

  3. Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Soochow University, Suzhou, China

    Da-Bing Lu

  4. Department of Gastroenterology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China

    Tie-Mei Han

  5. Department of Hematology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Yiwu, China

    Yan Zheng

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Supplementary figure 1. Literature search strategy. Literature search strategy. (TIFF 262 kb)

10552_2014_492_MOESM2_ESM.tif

Supplementary figure 2. Relative risk (solid line) with 95% confidence interval (long dashed lines) for the relationship between total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of colorectal cancer in men and women separately in a restricted cubic spline random-effects meta-analysis. Relative risk (solid line) with 95 % confidence interval (long dashed lines) for the relationship between total n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of colorectal cancer in men and women separately in a restricted cubic spline random-effects meta-analysis. (TIFF 123 kb)

Supplementary material 3 (DOCX 24 kb)

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Chen, GC., Qin, LQ., Lu, DB. et al. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids intake and risk of colorectal cancer: meta-analysis of prospective studies. Cancer Causes Control 26, 133–141 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0492-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-014-0492-1

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