Objective. To determine the relationship between dietary omega-3 fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) and omega-6 fatty acids (n-6 PUFA) with prostate cancer risk from meta-analysis of prospective studies. Design. The literature retrieved from electronic biomedical databases up to June 2011 was critically appraised. General variance-based method was used to pool the effect estimates at 95% confidence interval. Heterogeneity was assessed by Chi2 and quantified by I 2. Results. Eight cohort studies were included for meta-analysis. n-3 PUFA, n-6 PUFA, and their derivatives were not significantly associated with risk of prostate cancer in general. A significant negative association between high dietary intake of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and prostate cancer risk (pooled RR: 0.915; 95% CI: 0.849, 0.985; P = 0.019) was noted. Likewise, a slightly positive association was noted on dietary long-chain n-3 PUFA, composed of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with prostate cancer risk (pooled RR: 1.135; 95% CI: 1.008, 1.278; P = 0.036); however, when two other cohort studies with data of EPA and DHA, both analyzed separately, were included into the pool, the association became not significant (RR: 1.034; 95% CI: 0.973, 1.096; P = 0.2780). Conclusion. Intake of n-3 PUFA and n-6 PUFA does not significantly affect risk of prostate cancer. High intake of ALA may reduce risk of prostate cancer, while intake of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids does not have a significant effect.

Objective:Our objective was to systematically analyze the evidence for an association between serum level long chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) and prostate cancer risk from human epidemiological studies. Study Procedures: We searched biomedical literature databases up to November 2011 and included epidemiological studies with description of long chain n-3 PUFA and incidence of prostate cancer in humans. Critical appraisal was done by two independent reviewers. Data were pooled using the general variance-based method with random-effects model; effect estimates were expressed as risk ratio with 95% confidence interval (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed by Chi 2 and quantified by I 2 , publication bias was also determined. Results: In total, 12 studies were included. Significant negative association was noted between high serum level of n-3 PUFA docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and total prostate cancer risk (RR:0.756; 95% CI 0.599, 0.955; p = 0.019). Likewise, a positive association between high blood level of fish oil contents, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and high-grade prostate tumour incidence (RR:1.381; 95% CI 1.050, 1.817; p = 0.021) was noted; however, this finding was evident only after adjustment was done on interstudy variability through the removal of a lower quality study from the pool. Conclusions: High serum levels of long chain n-3 PUFA DPA is associated with reduced total prostate cancer risk. While high blood level of EPA and DHA is possibly associated with increased high-grade prostate tumour risk.

Previous researches involving dietary methods have shown conflicting findings. Authors sought to assess the association of prostate cancer risk with blood levels of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) through a meta-analysis of human epidemiological studies in available online databases (July, 2012). After critical appraisal by two independent reviewers, Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOQAS) was used to grade the studies. Six case control and six nested case control studies were included. Results showed nonsignificant association of overall effect estimates with total or advanced prostate cancer or high-grade tumor. High blood level of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) had nonsignificant positive association with total prostate cancer risk. High blood level of docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) had significant negative association with total prostate cancer risk. Specific n-3 PUFA in fish oil, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) had positive association with high-grade prostate tumor risk only after adjustment of interstudy variability. There is evidence that high blood level of DPA that is linked with reduced total prostate cancer risk and elevated blood levels of fish oils, EPA, and DHA is associated with high-grade prostate tumor, but careful interpretation is needed due to intricate details involved in prostate carcinogenesis and N-3 PUFA metabolism.

Background: Thyroid nodules are a common disease entity occurring in 5-10% of the general population and increasing with age. Their detection on ultrasonography ranges from 13% to 67%.  Calcifications on ultrasound may occur in both benign and malignant diseases, but have been cited for increased risk of thyroid carcinoma.   Objective: To determine the association of calcifications found on thyroid ultrasonography and the different types of calcifications with thyroid carcinoma. Method: Study Design: Retrospective Study Setting: Tertiary Private Hospital Participants:  126 patients with pre-operative thyroid or neck ultrasonography who subsequently underwent thyroidectomy (total or subtotal, with or without frozen section) were selected from a database covering a one-year period from January to December 2012. The presence and type of calcification on ultrasonography was correlated with the final histopathologic report for a diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were obtained. Results: 51 out of 126 studies (40%) were observed to have calcifications of any description, in both histologically benign (41%) and malignant (59%) nodules. Calcifications seen in malignancy arose from papillary carcinoma (86%). Follicular carcinoma and others (Plasmacytoma and Lymphoma) accounted for 7% each. The peripheral type of calcification was most prevalent accounting for 37% (11 out of 30).  The sensitivity of detecting calcifications on ultrasonography is 58.82%, specificity 81.33%, positive predictive value 68.18% and negative predictive value 74.38%. Chi square test computed was 21.54 (P <0.05). Conclusion: There was an association between calcification found on ultrasonography and thyroid carcinoma and 86% of the calcifications were peripheral patterns, mostly found in papillary thyroid carcinomas. Ultrasonography alone is not sufficient in diagnosing thyroid carcinoma, but may increase the suspicion of malignancy depending on the type of calcification. Keywords: Thyroid carcinoma, papillary carcinoma, calcifications, ultrasonography

No abstract