Researchers are gearing up for a study on whether dietary changes, exercise and telephone counseling can stop or delay the progression of prostate cancer, the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center announced today.
Participants in the Men's Eating and Living Study will eat at least seven servings of vegetables like kale and broccoli per day, along with tomato products, whole grains, beans and fruit.
Dr. J. Kellogg Parsons, a urologic oncologist at the center, said previous studies have shown that a diet high in vegetables and low in meat and fat reduce the risk of prostate cancer -- either progressing or starting in the first place.
"Ours is the first study to focus on changing the entire lifestyle rather than just giving the participants a supplement pill," Kellogg said.
"We focus on more vegetables, less meat, and comprehensive counseling which encourages a more active lifestyle."
About 100,000 American men are diagnosed annually with early-stage, low-risk prostate cancer, and too many have overly aggressive treatment that reduces their quality of life, he said.
The study will help show whether the cancer can be controlled in its early stages without surgery or radiation.
Eligible participants are males up to 80 years old, who have been diagnosed with non-aggressive prostate cancer within the last two years, are in the early stages, and have not yet received treatment of any kind.
