I am not questioning the integrity of the authors. The report of what I beleive is the trial does make the point that GLA is to be found in plant oils. The trial refers to GLA treatment, and makes no mention of use of the plant oils in the tests. I do not know if they had access to pure GLA. If they did use plant oils it would complicate any conclusion because of the presence of other potential factors, and there was no mention of such factors. I have found the trial link.
http://jncicancerspectrum.oxfordjour...nci;97/21/1611
I also attach a link to an NCBI search, which produced 37 results on a search from breast cance and gamma linolenic acid (should have been linolenic) .
I also attach an abstract dealing with another trial which although earlier comes to another conclusion.
I have also seen a trial on rats or mice which from memory suggested that some GLA did indeed get into the tumour in lipid form I presume, but most was used in the usual pathways. I will try and refind it - found it!. I don't totally understand it but it makes the point as to various parhways and tumours storing or using GLA (as fuel ?). I have seen reports that tumours also do this with linoleic acid, and hence my questions as to whether this was the body trying to find things to do with excess omega six. At a lay level tumours are clearly doing something the GLA. The trials report GLA induces supression in tumours but the body has to take it there first rather than use it for something else, which at some level it look from animal results as if it may.
These trials as pointed out often may not relate to the specific cancer type of interest. Further you really need to look at the full reports as for example if other fats were included or excluded the result may be different.
At the end of the day it is a case of a best guesstimate. Mine would be to include some GLA, but the key factor is to cut down omega six and include omega three, and take any omega six that comes with the GLA into the picture.
So I am not against or suggesting the trial write up was wrong merely it is more complex, and a question exists if the negative impacts of excess omega six that come with the GLA may exceed the benifits of GLA. It is all hugely complex - the more you look the more you realise how amazingly complex and subltle it all is.
The combined impact with Herceptin is particularly interesting.
RB
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...linolenic+acid
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/q...296&query_hl=4