Fish Intake and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundIncreasing laboratory findings indicate that n-3 fatty acids, mainly derived from fish, inhibit cancer development and progression, but results from epidemiologic studies have been inconsistent and inconclusive.ObjectiveTo evaluate the association of fish intake with risk of liver cancer by conducting a meta-analysis.MethodsPublished case-control/cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between total fish intake and risk of liver cancer were found on PubMed and EMBASE. The pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were obtained with the random-effects model.ResultsFive retrospective case-control studies and 5 prospective cohort studies were included in the final analysis, involving a total of 3 624 liver cancer cases. Comparing the highest with the lowest category of total fish intake, the pooled RRs of liver cancer were 0.79 (95% CI, 0.59-1.06) for case-control studies, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.70-0.96) for cohort studies and 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71-0.94) for all studies combined. The protective effects of total fish intake against liver cancer were confirmed by stratified and sensitivity analyses. In addition, an increase in fish intake of 1 serving/week was estimated to be significantly associated with 6% lower risk of liver cancer (RR = 0.94, 95% CI, 0.91-0.98).ConclusionsFindings from this meta-analysis suggest that a higher fish intake is associated with reduced risk of liver cancer.

Diet and liver cancer risk: a narrative review of epidemiological evidence

“…Most current studies seemed to support a null association for processed meat (53,79,120,121) , or heterocyclic amines (53) , although a positive association between processed red meat and HCC risk was found in the NHS and HPFS (122) . Notably, cohort studies (53,120,122) and the meta-analyses (79,119) consistently suggested a protective association of white meat intake, particularly fish intake with HCC development, which was consistent with the findings form the most recent report by WCRF/AICR (19) . Overall, intake of red meat particularly processed red meat may increase, while white meat possibly fish may decrease the risk of HCC.…”

“…By contrast, white meats (i.e. poultry and fish), particularly fish intake, have been shown to decrease cancer risk (79,119) , possibly due to long-chain n-3 PUFA present in fish, particularly fatty fish. Also, white meat including fish and poultry is a rich source of BCAA, which may play a protective role in hepatocarcinogenesis (see Section 1.3).…”

Fish intake and the risk of brain tumor: a meta-analysis with systematic review

“…As one important component of diet, fish is considered to be quite healthy, which has been found to be associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality [9], cardiovascular diseases [10] and stroke [11], as well as some forms of cancer, including colorectal [12], lung [13], prostate [14], breast [15], and liver cancers [16]. However, the association between fish intake and brain cancer risk is still inconclusive and inconsistent, and the evidence is scattered.…”

Mental Health of pneumoconiosis patients in China: a meta-analysis

“…Meta-analysis is a statistical method that is used to compare and analyze results obtained by and reported in individual scientific studies. It uses statistical methods developed for the purpose of integrating the findings [5]. Hence, meta-analysis allows for the expansion of a pertinent sample, thereby leading to a more accurate interpretation of results.…”