DIET quality could play a role in the progression of prostate cancer for men undergoing active surveillance. This is according to the results of a new study for which researchers analyzed data from 886 men diagnosed with low-grade prostate cancer to examine how diet could influence the risk of the disease progression over time. The study tracked the men’s dietary habits and cancer progression over a median follow-up period of 6.5 years.
Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire to assess their adherence to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI), which reflects alignment with the U.S. Dietary Guidelines, and the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), which measures the inflammatory potential of their diet. The study found that higher HEI scores, indicating healthier diets, were linked to a significantly lower risk of prostate cancer grade reclassification, especially to more aggressive forms that require curative treatment. For each 1-point increase in HEI, the risk of grade reclassification was reduced by 15%, and the risk of more severe reclassification was reduced by 28%.
The study did not find a significant connection between the inflammatory potential of the participants’ diets, measured by DII scores, and cancer progression. This suggests that simply reducing dietary inflammation may not be enough; following broader nutritional guidelines may be key in reducing the risk of prostate cancer worsening.
These findings suggest that maintaining a high-quality diet, aligned with national dietary recommendations, could be an important factor for men with low-grade prostate cancer who are under active surveillance. Although the research offers promising insights, further studies are needed to fully understand the role diet may play in preventing cancer progression.
Reference: Su ZT et al. Diet quality, dietary inflammatory potential, and risk of prostate cancer grade reclassification. JAMA Oncol. 2024. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2024.4406.
Anaya Malik | AMJ
