Fish Oil and Breast Cancer

Fish oil may help lower risk of certain types of breast cancer.
CNN /Health.com (7/8, Gardner) reported, "Millions of Americans already take fish oil to keep their hearts healthy and to treat ailments ranging from arthritis to depression." Now, a paper appearing in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention indicates that the "supplements may also help women lower their risk of breast cancer." In fact, "postmenopausal women between the ages of 50 and 76 who took fish oil were...less likely to develop certain types of breast cancer than women who didn't," researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found.
IOM panel investigating possible link between breast cancer, environmental risk factors. NBC Nightly News (7/7, story 7, 2:20, Williams) reported, "It's long been a fear -- more than that, a belief held by many people that things in our environment, our daily life that we come in contact with cause certain kinds of cancer." Specifically, "for breast cancer," there are concerns about "pesticides and chemicals like BPA in plastic bottles and can liners that can disrupt hormone function in animal studies." Yesterday, however, "a panel of experts...in San Francisco heard so far there is no proof of a connection, but it is critical to look." Therefore, the "panel from the Institute of Medicine...is holding studies to determine what further research is needed."