A new study has raised serious concerns about linoleic acid, a common ingredient in cooking oils like soybean and safflower oil, linking it to the growth of triple negative breast cancer one of the most aggressive and hard to treat forms of the disease.
Researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine found that this omega-6 fatty acid, widely consumed in seed oils and animal products such as pork and eggs, may play a direct role in promoting tumour growth. Published on March 14 in the journal Science the study suggests that a diet high in linoleic acid could increase the risk of developing triple-negative breast cancer, which has a significantly lower survival rate (77%) compared to more common, hormone-sensitive forms of breast cancer (90%).
Triple-negative breast cancer lacks hormone receptors, making it resistant to many standard treatments. The new research shows that linoleic acid can activate a powerful tumour growth pathway by binding to a protein called FABP5, which is particularly abundant in triple-negative cancer cells. In contrast, this effect wasn’t seen in other breast cancer types.
In mouse models a high-linoleic acid diet led to faster and more aggressive tumour growth.
Dr. John Blenis senior author of the study “This discovery helps clarify the relationship between dietary fats and cancer It opens up new opportunities to define which patients might benefit from specific dietary guidance potentially tailoring nutrition to individual cancer risks.”
Experts now warn against excessive use of seed and vegetable oils, urging more research and greater public awareness of how common dietary fats may influence cancer development. This breakthrough may also pave the way for new diet based prevention strategies and therapeutic targets for difficult-to-treat cancers.