Flaxseed and its components reduce metastasis after surgical excision of solid human breast tumor in nude mice

Chen, Jianmin; Wang, Linda; Thompson, Lilian U.

doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2005.03.056

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Volume 234, Issue 2 , Pages 168-175, 28 March 2006

Flaxseed and its components reduce metastasis after surgical excision of solid human breast tumor in nude mice

Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Room 318, 150 College St., Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 3E2

Received 7 October 2004; received in revised form 11 March 2005; accepted 22 March 2005.

Abstract

This study determined the effect of 10% flaxseed (FS) and its components, secoisolariciresinol diglycoside (SDG) and flaxseed oil (FO) alone or in combination (SDG+FO), on the metastasis and recurrence of human breast tumor after excision in nude mice. Mice were injected orthotopically with human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-435) and fed basal diet (BD). When the tumors reached an average size of 110mm² (0.9g), surgical excisions were performed, and the mice were assigned to one of five diet groups for 7 weeks. The total incidence of metastasis was significantly lower in the FS, SDG, and SDG+FO groups. Reduced lung and lymph node metastases were observed in the FS and SDG+FO groups. In the FS and FO groups, a greater reduction in lung and total metastases was found when excised tumors were ≤0.9 versus >0.9g. There was no significant difference in tumor recurrence among groups. In conclusion, FS and its components inhibited tumor metastasis but not tumor recurrence after surgical excision of the primary tumor.