A healthy diet can prevent prostate cancer from becoming more deadly, a pioneering study has shown for the first time.
The results of the 12-year study of almost 1,000 people with the disease open the door to a precise diet plan to combat it.
The development comes after Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy revealed last week that his prostate cancer was terminal.
Dr. Christian Pavlovich, a professor of urology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, said, “We believe ours is the first to provide statistically significant evidence that a healthy diet is associated with a reduction in risk.” of prostate cancer progressing to a higher level. grade group.’
Prostate cancer patients are graded between one and five, where one indicates “indolent” cells that do not spread to other parts of the body, while “five” is the most severe.
Olympic legend Sir Chris Hoy revealed last week that his prostate cancer was terminal
Sir Chris Hoy celebrates on the podium after winning gold medal at London 2012
A healthy diet can prevent prostate cancer from becoming more deadly, a pioneering study shows for the first time (file photo)
Biopsies are performed regularly to determine if the cancer has progressed to a higher grade.
The peer-reviewed study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine, published in the journal JAMA Oncology, examined the diets of 886 patients with grade one prostate cancer between January 2005 and February 2017.
The team examined the patients’ diets and scored them according to the Healthy Eating Index (HEI).
Six and a half years later they found that 187 men, or 21 percent of the study, had been reclassified to grade two, while six percent were in group three or more.
The researchers found that those with a better diet had significantly reduced the risk of low-grade prostate cancer becoming more severe, and each 12.5-point increase in their HEI score was associated with a 15 percent reduction in reclassification to second grade, and 30 percent. percentage reduction to third grade or higher.
Study co-author Bruce Trock, a professor of urology, epidemiology and oncology at John Hopkins, said: “Hopefully, these latest findings will allow us to develop some concrete measures that can be taken to reduce the risk of cancer progression.”