Omega-3 fatty acid intake and decreased risk of skin cancer in organ transplant recipients
- PMID: 32909136
- DOI: 10.1007/s00394-020-02378-y
Omega-3 fatty acid intake and decreased risk of skin cancer in organ transplant recipients
Abstract
Purpose: Organ transplant recipients have over 100-fold higher risk of developing skin cancer than the general population and are in need of further preventive strategies. We assessed the possible preventive effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake from food on the two main skin cancers, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) in kidney and liver transplant recipients.
Methods: Adult kidney or liver transplant recipients transplanted for at least 1 year and at high risk of skin cancer were recruited from the main transplant hospital in Queensland, 2012-2014 and followed until mid-2016. We estimated their dietary total long-chain omega-3 PUFAs and α-linolenic acid intakes at baseline using a food frequency questionnaire and ranked PUFA intakes as low, medium, or high. Relative risks (RRsadj) of skin cancer adjusted for confounding factors with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated.
Results: There were 449 transplant recipients (mean age, 55 years; 286 (64%) male). During follow-up, 149 (33%) patients developed SCC (median 2/person; range 1-40) and 134 (30%), BCC. Transplant recipients with high total long-chain omega-3 PUFA compared with low intakes showed substantially reduced SCC tumour risk (RRadj 0.33, 95% CI 0.18-0.60), and those with high α-linolenic acid intakes experienced significantly fewer BCCs (RRadj 0.40, 95% CI 0.22-0.74). No other significant associations were seen.
Conclusion: Among organ transplant recipients, relatively high intakes of long-chain omega-3 PUFAs and of α-linolenic acid may reduce risks of SCC and BCC, respectively.
Keywords: Alpha-linolenic acid; Cohort studies; Omega-3 fatty acids; Organ transplantation; Skin neoplasms.
References
-
- Krynitz B, Edgren G, Lindelöf B, Baecklund E, Brattström C, Wilczek H, Smedby KE (2013) Risk of skin cancer and other malignancies in kidney, liver, heart and lung transplant recipients 1970 to 2008–a Swedish population-based study. Int J Cancer 132(6):1429–1438. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijc.27765 - DOI - PubMed
-
- Plasmeijer EI, Jiyad Z, Way M, Marquart L, Miura K, Campbell S, Isbel N, Fawcett J, Ferguson LE, Davis M, Whiteman DC, Soyer HP, O'Rourke P, Green AC (2019) Extreme incidence of skin cancer in kidney and liver transplant recipients living with high sun exposure. Acta Derm Venereol 99(10):929–930. https://doi.org/10.2340/00015555-3234 - DOI - PubMed
-
- Pandeya N, Olsen CM, Whiteman DC (2017) The incidence and multiplicity rates of keratinocyte cancers in Australia. Med J Aust 207(8):339–343 - DOI
-
- Euvrard S, Kanitakis J, Claudy A (2003) Skin cancers after organ transplantation. N Engl J Med 348(17):1681–1691. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra022137 - DOI - PubMed
-
- Grulich AE, van Leeuwen MT, Falster MO, Vajdic CM (2007) Incidence of cancers in people with HIV/AIDS compared with immunosuppressed transplant recipients: a meta-analysis. Lancet 370(9581):59–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61050-2 - DOI - PubMed
MeSH terms
Substances
Grants and funding
- 552429/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
- 1073898/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
- APP1040947/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
- APP1155413/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
- APP1058522/National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Medical
Research Materials