11 Feb 2010 --- DHA omega-3 has been found to boost the efficacy of chemotherapy in breast cancer patients, according to a new study. Writing in the British Journal of Cancer, Bougnoux et al found that a dietary intake of 1.8g/day of algal DHA before and during chemotherapy made breast cancer cells more sensitive to anti-cancer drugs, in turn making the treatment more effective. The findings are highly significant given that over one million new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed every year worldwide. Incidences are particularly high in western Europe and the USA.

The study, “Improving Outcome of Chemotheraphy of Metastatic Breast Cancer by Docosahexaenoic Acid: a Phase II Trial,” monitored and evaluated the health of breast cancer patients at the University Hospital Bretonneau (Tours, France). Algal DHA omega-3 supplementation started 7-10 days before chemotherapy began and continued over the five month chemotherapy treatment period. Tumour response rate, time to progression and overall survival were assessed. The authors found the most marked improvements in patients whose tumour cells had incorporated high levels of DHA.

Professor Philippe Bougnoux, the report’s lead author, commented: “This trial demonstrated DHA’s ability to chemosensitise tumours: a significant and exciting finding which could have major implications not only for breast cancer treatment, but possibly for other forms of the disease in the longer term. The efficacy of chemotherapy is dose-dependent but dose is limited due to the treatment’s side effects; specifically, its toxicity to non-tumour tissue. Consequentially, making tumours more susceptible to chemotherapy without affecting healthy tissue has the potential to improve prognosis and clinical outcome. We hope the results of our study will lead to further trials to define more precisely the potential future role of DHA in breast cancer patients.”

Dr Edward Nelson, medical director at Martek Biosciences, which supplied the algal DHA capsules used in the study, added: “Professor Bougnoux’s trial underscores again the potentially valuable benefits of DHA omega-3, even beyond the well-established brain, eye and heart health benefits. We hope to see further research confirming the beneficial role that DHA may play in the treatment of breast cancer, a disease that kills over 400,000 people worldwide every year.”

DHA omega-3 is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid that serves as a primary building block for the brain and the eyes and supports brain, eye and cardiovascular health throughout life. There is a large and growing body of scientific evidence demonstrating that people of all ages benefit from an adequate supply of DHA omega-3 in their diets. Scientific reviews highlight the importance of DHA omega-3 in proper brain and eye development and function, as well as its importance in cardiovascular health. Leading experts around the world have noted that DHA is an important nutrient for health throughout the life cycle. Yet despite its importance, most consumers do not get enough DHA in their diets.

Fish are often incorrectly thought to be the only source of DHA omega-3. However, life'sDHA from Martek Biosciences offers a trusted, vegetarian form of DHA that contains no oceanic pollutants or toxins. Fish are sources of DHA because of the DHA-rich microalgae in their food chain; life'sDHA is derived directly from microalgae, a renewable, sustainable source of DHA that does not deplete ocean resources, and is produced entirely in the U.S. in an FDA-inspected facility. Today, life'sDHA is found in numerous foods, beverages and supplements for people of all ages. It is also the only source of DHA used in U.S. infant formula and is included in more than 99 percent of all formulas on the U.S. market, as well as in more than 200 brands of infant formula, nutritional supplements and functional foods sold in over 75 countries worldwide.