These are very exciting times in the Hales lab. Bolstered by the promising results from our pilot one year flax feeding study our work has gained some media exposure. The idea that simple dietary changes like including flax seed and other rich source of omega-3 and natural antioxidants can result in significant improvements in ovarian cancer prognosis really speaks to people. Hope springs eternal, as they say, and being able to make ovarian cancer a disease women die with, but not from, brings hope to us all. This is important work and we have had great fortune in receiving major NIH funding to continue the studies. The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM, an NIH Center) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have both recently funded our research. The NCCAM funded project exams the different constituents of flax seed to assess their relative contributions to the therapeutic actions of flax seed-- the omega-3 fatty acids in the germ of the seed, or the phytoestrogen antioxidants in the hull? We propose that they act synergistically to quell the inflammation and ameliorate the progression of ovarian cancer. If flax oil supplemented with lignan proves to be the most effective, a new therapeutic regimen could be tested in the clinic. It may prove that the omega-3 is the most important ingredient. To test this we will be looking at the effects of fish oil derived omega 3s to contrast and compare to flax seed derived omega 3s. These studies are funded by the NCI.
News of this funding has prompted a flurry of media attention:
