The Relationship Between Fish Consumption and Cancer Risk
Fish consumption has become an important subject in research on reducing cancer risk and living healthily during and after treatment. As the preferred animal food of the Mediterranean diet , fish has been associated with lower risks of certain cancers. Let us examine which ones.
Regular, High Fish Consumption Reduces the Risk of Some Gastrointestinal Cancers
To assess regular fish consumption’s effects on gastrointestinal cancer risk, a meta-analysis included 232.000 people across 42 studies.
What Is a Meta-Analysis?
Meta-analyses are the broadest studies combining results from multiple independent studies on a specific subject and statistically analyzing their findings. Their results provide the strongest scientific evidence.
This comprehensive study found significantly lower risks of esophageal, colorectal and liver cancers in regular fish consumers than in those eating fish rarely or never. Another meta-analysis of 20 studies and 3990 esophageal cancer patients found lower squamous cell esophageal cancer risk with high fish intake than very low intake, but no reduction in adenocarcinoma risk. Another meta-analysis of 7 cohort and 28 case-control studies found no association between fish consumption and esophageal cancer risk.
A meta-analysis of 17 studies found no relationship between fish consumption and gastric cancer. However, a newer Italian study comparing 223 gastric cancer patients with 223 healthy individuals found significant protection against colorectal cancer with high versus low fish intake. A Japanese study found no association between fish consumption and reduced colorectal cancer risk, possibly because of the population’s habit of eating salted/smoked fish, an unhealthy preparation method.
Fish consumption may also protect against liver cancer. A meta-analysis of 11 studies found that high versus low fish consumption reduced liver cancer risk by 35%. No such reduction was observed for pancreatic cancer.
A Healthy, Cancer-Free Life Requires More Than a Single Action
The Relationship Between Fish Consumption and Lung Cancer Risk Is Unclear
The association between fish intake and lung cancer risk is unclear. Including 8799 lung cancer cases and 17072 healthy controls, a meta-analysis of 20 studies found significantly lower lung cancer risk with high fish consumption. However, this effect appeared mostly in case-control studies, not cohort studies. Another meta-analysis found no significant association.
Case-Control Studies generally, though not always, work backward. An outcome, such as a disease, is identified first, and possible previous exposures leading to it are questioned or investigated. This group is called the case group. As retrospective studies, they provide weaker evidence.
Cohort Studies examine causal relationships between an exposure and disease prospectively.
Female Reproductive System Cancers
Many meta-analyses found no association between fish consumption and breast cancer risk, nor uterine or ovarian cancer risk. However, one extra serving of fish weekly was found to slightly reduce uterine cancer risk in smokers.
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Urinary Tract (Genitourinary) Cancers
Meta-analyses found no association between fish consumption and bladder, kidney or prostate cancer risk. However, a prostate cancer meta-analysis found a 63% risk reduction with fish consumption. A newer case-control study found that fish consumption could reduce aggressive prostate cancer risk.
Thyroid Cancer
A meta-analysis of 19 studies showed lower thyroid cancer risk with high fish consumption than the lowest intake level. A newer cohort study not included in that analysis found no association between fish intake and any thyroid cancer type.
Blood and Bone Marrow (Hematological) Cancers
Several meta-analyses suggest fish consumption may protect against some hematological cancers. For example, a meta-analysis of 33 studies found that fish and seafood consumption reduced multiple myeloma risk, but did not affect non-Hodgkin lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma or follicular lymphoma risk. Another meta-analysis of 5 case-control studies confirmed a possible protective effect against multiple myeloma.
A meta-analysis of 18 studies assessed the timing of fish consumption and leukemia risk. Fish consumed in early childhood (ages 0-4) significantly reduced childhood leukemia risk, but maternal fish intake during pregnancy had no association with childhood leukemia.
Conclusion
Numerous studies show that fish consumption does not increase any cancer risk and that high consumption may protect against gastrointestinal cancers, thyroid cancer, multiple myeloma and childhood leukemia. Nevertheless, a healthy, cancer-free life requires more than a single action.
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