Western Diet May Have Detrimental Effect on Prostate Cancer Risk

WEDNESDAY, April 19, 2023 (HealthDay News) -- Adherence to a Western diet may have a detrimental effect on the risk for prostate cancer, according to a study published online April 19 in BJU International.

Adela Castelló, Ph.D., from the University of Alcalá in Madrid, and colleagues examined the association between three dietary patterns (Western, Prudent, and Mediterranean) and prostate cancer risk in a study involving 15,296 men recruited during 1992 to 1996. The associations between dietary patterns and prostate cancer risk (global, for Gleason grade groups 6 and >6, and for International Society of Urological Pathology [ISUP] grade 1 + 2 and ISUP grade 3 + 4 + 5) were examined.

The researchers found that for the Prudent and Mediterranean dietary patterns, there was no effect on prostate cancer risk, while there was a suggestion of a detrimental effect of the Western dietary pattern (hazard ratio_{quartile[Q]4vsQ1}, 1.29; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.96 to 1.72). This effect was only seen for Gleason grade group >6 (hazard ratio_Q3vsQ1, 1.61; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.00 to 2.59; hazard ratio_Q4vsQ1, 1.60; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.96 to 2.67) and was stronger for ISUP grade 3 + 4 + 5 tumors (hazard ratio_Q2vsQ1, 1.97; 95 percent confidence interval, 0.98 to 3.93; hazard ratio_Q3vsQ1, 2.72; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.35 to 5.51; hazard ratio_Q4vsQ1, 2.29; 95 percent confidence interval, 1.07 to 4.92).

"Our results indicate that avoiding unhealthy dietary habits could be the best nutritional strategy to prevent aggressive prostate cancer," Castelló said in a statement.

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