Even when given an antioxidant (vitamin E), tumors in fish oil-fed mice still get more oxidative damage after chemo, meaning they’re already under more stress and can’t recover.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Role of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in omega 3 fatty acids induced suppression of breast cancer xenograft growth in mice

Cohort Study

Animal

2002 Jul 17

Fish oil made tumor cells more prone to damage from oxidative stress, and even though vitamin E helped reduce some of that damage, it couldn’t stop the extra damage caused by the cancer drug — meaning the tumors were still under heavy stress.

Contradicting (0)

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Role of lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in omega 3 fatty acids induced suppression of breast cancer xenograft growth in mice

Score: 14

DOI: 10.1186/1475-2867-2-10

Similar Assertions

Fish oil and chemo together cause more oxidative damage in tumors than either alone, but that’s not the whole reason the tumors shrink — something else (like GPX suppression) matters more.

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Fish oil only affects the cancer cells’ ability to handle stress — not the healthy liver or colon — which may mean it’s safer and more targeted.

74%

Fish oil makes breast cancer tumors in mice produce less of an enzyme that protects them from oxidative damage, and this makes the cancer cells more vulnerable to chemotherapy.

72%