Can a Healthy Diet Help Keep Early-Stage Prostate Cancer in Check?
By Dr. David Samadi
Could the food on your plate make a difference in managing prostate cancer? According to recent research published in JAMA Oncology, the answer might be yes. A new study suggests that healthier eating may help men with low-grade prostate cancer keep the disease from progressing to a more advanced and less treatable level.
Study Findings: The Power of Healthy Choices
The study analyzed the eating habits of 886 men diagnosed with grade 1 prostate cancer between 2005 and 2017. Grade 1 prostate cancer tends to grow slowly and typically doesn’t spread to other parts of the body. Researchers assessed each participant’s diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which measures adherence to the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Here’s what they found: for every 12.5-point increase on the HEI’s 100-point scale, men were 15% less likely to experience progression to grade 2 prostate cancer and 30% less likely to see progression to grade 3 or higher. Lead author Dr. Zhuo Tony Su noted, “We saw that men with healthier diets at the beginning of their surveillance were less likely to have their cancer progress.”
Why Does Diet Matter?
Dr. Christian Pavlovich, a professor of urologic oncology at Johns Hopkins and co-senior author of the study, explained that diet might play a key role in reducing inflammation—one potential factor in slowing cancer progression. “This is one of the first studies to show a statistically significant link between diet quality and the risk of prostate cancer progressing to a higher grade,” he said.
While these findings are promising, Dr. Bruce Trock, another study’s senior author, emphasized that this doesn’t mean diet is a cure-all. Instead, a high-quality diet could be one more tool for men choosing active surveillance over immediate treatment.
A Closer Look at the Data
With an average follow-up of 6.5 years, researchers observed that 21% of participants experienced a grade progression to at least grade 2, and 6% progressed to grade 3 or higher. Those with healthier diets saw notably lower rates of grade progression. As Dr. Trock summarized, “Higher dietary quality scores were linked to reduced risk of cancer progression, which may prevent the need for curative treatment.”
What’s Next?
The research team is optimistic about the potential for diet-based guidance in managing low-grade prostate cancer, especially for men who choose active surveillance. Dr. Pavlovich concluded, “These findings could help in counseling men motivated to adopt healthier diets as part of their cancer management.” Still, future studies with more diverse populations will be necessary for validating this connection.
If you or someone you know is managing low-grade prostate cancer, it might be worth discussing dietary changes with a healthcare provider. Although no diet guarantees protection, focusing on nutrient-rich foods could be valuable to your overall care plan.
Dr. David Samadi is the Director of Men’s Health and Urologic Oncology at St. Francis Hospital in Long Island. He’s a renowned and highly successful board certified Urologic Oncologist Expert and Robotic Surgeon in New York City, regarded as one of the leading prostate surgeons in the U.S., with a vast expertise in prostate cancer treatment and Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. Dr. Samadi is a medical contributor to NewsMax TV and is also the author of two books, Prostate Cancer Now What? A Practical Guide to Diagnosis, Treatment, and Recovery and The Ultimate MANual, Dr. Samadi’s Guide to Men’s Health and Wellness, available online both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Visit Dr. Samadi’s websites at robotic oncolo gy and prostate cancer 911.