Diet quality and the risk of prostate cancer grade reclassification

A study published in JAMA Oncology suggests that following American dietary guidelines might help lower the risk of cancer progression in men diagnosed with low- risk prostate cancer (grade group 1, or GG1). Over about 6.5 years, 21% of the men saw their cancer progress to grade group 2 or higher, while 6% had extreme progression. After 10 years, the progression rates were 33% for moderate reclassification and 10% for extreme cases. Men who followed a healthier diet had a significantly lower chance of grade reclassification, especially to more severe grades that require treatment. However, diets specifically focused on reducing inflammation showed no strong link to cancer progression.

Overall, the study suggests that a diet aligned with American dietary guidelines may help reduce the risk of prostate cancer worsening, especially for severe cases.

However, scores on the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII) were not linked to changes in cancer grade.

The study’s authors suggest that these findings could encourage men under active surveillance to adopt healthier eating habits to possibly slow cancer progression.

Li, D., Zhou, X., Xu, W. et al. High-fat diet promotes prostate cancer metastasis via RPS27. Cancer Metab 12, 6 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40170-024-00333-7