FISH OIL MAY HALT BREAST CANCER; TISSUE CHANGES NOTED IN STUDY.

Byline: Anne Burke Daily News Staff Writer

American women who eat a low-fat diet and fish oil supplements can change their breast tissue to approximate that of their Japanese counterparts - who have a much lower incidence of breast cancer, according to researchers at UCLA.

In an experiment at the university's Jonsson Cancer Center, 25 women with breast cancer stuck to a traditional Japanese diet for three months low in fat, and heavy in fish oils, soy products and vegetables, including leafy greens, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower and carrots.

The women's blood plasma experienced a fourfold increase in the ratio of cancer-inhibiting polyunsaturated fatty acids (known as omega-3 PUFAs) over another type of PUFAs (omega-6) that promote the growth of cancer cells, according to Dr. John Glaspy, who directed the study.

``We are very optimistic about these results,'' Glaspy said.

The findings are described in the August 6 issue of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

Glaspy said the study suggests - but does not prove - that a diet rich in fish oil would prevent breast cancer. A larger, longer study would be required for that, he said.

Breast cancer strikes 1.5 percent of all American women between the ages of 40 and 49, with more than 180,000 new cases expected to occur in the United States this year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Breast cancer survivor Jane Stoll, 54, of Encino, participated in last year's study. She's still adhering to the 1,600-calorie-a-day diet - and insists she loves every bite.

``I just made one of the recipes for lunch - chili pie - and it was delicious,'' she said. ``I cook a lot for other people, and they have no idea that what they're eating has practically no fat.''

Stoll was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1987, then underwent a bone marrow transplant in 1993 after a recurrence. Her cancer is now in remission.

Today, she carries packets of Weight Watchers salad dressing in her purse when she eats out, uses pan sprays and fat-free chicken stock in place of cooking oils, and makes sauces out of dehydrated mashed potatoes and nonfat condensed milk, with lots of spices.

``The biggest culprits are salad dressings, margarine and butter - they're just not in my diet anymore. Any fat I get, I get from fish or chicken,'' said Stoll, a retired interior decorator and marketing consultant.

Glaspy said laboratory studies indicate that a high ratio of a omega-3 PUFAs to omega-6 PUFA may prevent breast cancer and reduce tumor size where it already exists.

Glaspy noted that some studies do not support the link between breast cancer and fat intake. But he said those that do are stronger and more credible.

According to UCLA researchers, Japanese women who eat traditional diets have a relatively low incidence of breast cancer, but when they come to this country and eat as Americans do, the frequency of the disease rises to that of U.S. women in a single generation.

Glaspy said the positive changes experienced by the women in the study are directly attributable to the intake of fish oils, which contain lots of omega-3 PUFAs, and the decreased consumption of foods containing the omega-6 PUFA, which mainly come from cooking oils and shortenings with a corn base, according to Dr. Dilprit Bagga, the nutritionist for the study.

Bagga said dietary fat may affect breast cancer by turning on genes that allow cancer cells to grow, or reducing the ability of the immune system to kill cancer cells.

It also could raise estrogen levels, which increase tumor growth, or enable cancer cells to invade the surrounding tissue easily.

Stoll said she uses the diet as just one of several weapons in her war against recurrence. She also takes a cancer-fighting hormone, and keeps up on all the latest medical developments.

The real challenge now is to get other women to start cutting out the fat in their diets. In a nation that loves its greasy burgers and fries, it won't be easy.

``I think it will take a massive, information blitz,'' she said.