Egg consumption can cause cancer? New study reveals concerning link

Are eggs part of your regular diet?

Then the new study might make you a bit cautious.


A new study, published in March in ‘Science’, reveals how linoleic acid, a fat found in seed oils, speeds the growth of triple-negative breast cancer by activating mTORC1.



Researchers are shedding new light on the connection between diet and cancer growth, particularly regarding how certain fats may fuel aggressive forms of breast cancer. This new study has found that linoleic acid, a type of fat commonly found in eggs and soybeans as well as in the Western diet, can activate a key growth pathway in triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most challenging forms to treat.


How Cancer Growth is Tied to Nutrients:

All cells, including cancer cells, need to adjust their growth based on available nutrients. A key player in this process is a cellular signaling network called mTORC1, which acts like a sensor and regulator to promote cell growth when nutrients are present. This pathway is particularly important in cancer biology, where abnormal growth is a defining characteristic. In breast cancer, mTORC1 signaling is disrupted in nearly half of all cases.

While researchers have primarily focused on how amino acids and glucose influence this pathway, other nutrients, such as essential fatty acids, have not been as thoroughly explored, especially regarding their direct impact on cancer cell behavior.

Two fatty acids stand out: omega-6 linoleic acid (LA) and omega-3 alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). The body cannot produce these fatty acids on its own, so they must be obtained through diet. Omega-6 fats tend to promote inflammation, while omega-3s generally have calming, anti-inflammatory effects. However, until now, researchers had not clearly demonstrated how omega-6 fats might trigger cancer growth at the molecular level.



Linoleic Acid Fuels a Specific Cancer Subtype:

The findings, published in the journal Science, focus on triple-negative breast cancer. This subtype lacks three key receptors—estrogen, progesterone, and HER2—that are typically targeted in treatments. As a result, triple-negative tumors are harder to treat and more aggressive than other types.

The study shows that linoleic acid, found in seed oils like safflower and soybean oil, as well as in animal products such as pork and eggs, can activate the mTORC1 pathway—but only in triple-negative breast cancer cells. This process involves a protein called FABP5.



FABP5 functions as a fatty acid transporter, and in triple-negative tumors, cells produce high amounts of this protein. The researchers discovered that linoleic acid binds to FABP5, triggering a chain reaction that ultimately activates the mTORC1 pathway. Consequently, the tumor cells grow at an accelerated rate.


“We now know that linoleic acid feeds cancer cell growth in a very specific way,” said study senior author Dr. John Blenis, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Professor of Cancer Research in the Department of Pharmacology and a member of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. “This discovery clarifies the relationship between dietary fats and cancer and helps identify which patients might benefit from specific nutritional recommendations in a personalized manner.”

Why This Matters for Patients and Diets:

Linoleic acid is the most prevalent unsaturated fat in diets across many countries, particularly those with high consumption of processed and fried foods. Since the 1950s, as the use of seed oils has increased, so too has the consumption of linoleic acid. Some experts have long speculated whether this trend might be connected to rising cancer rates.


Numerous studies have attempted to determine whether omega-6 fats like linoleic acid cause cancer, but results have been mixed and inconclusive. The issue has been that most studies focused only on general patterns rather than the biological mechanisms behind them.

This new research provides more clarity by identifying a direct mechanism that applies specifically to a certain cancer subtype. It suggests that the relationship between diet and disease might be more profound than previously understood, but only under specific conditions.

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