CAN LINOLEIC-ACID AND GAMMA-LINOLENIC ACID BE IMPORTANT IN CANCER-TREATMENT

This hypothesis proposes that the essential fatty acids (EFAs), linole ic acid (LA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), play important roles in c ancer treatment. Oxidation of LA by lipoxidase especially increases tu mour cell death, whilst GLA inhibits urokinase-type plasminogen activa tor (uPA) activity. Increased uPA activity is: firstly, responsible fo r cancer invasion and metastasis and secondly, responsible for proteol ysis of lipoxidase which favours a decrease in cancer cell death. Addi tion of LA and GLA to available therapeutic regimens may be worth cons idering in cancer treatment.