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Prostate Cancer Diet Post Treatment
You were diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa). You underwent therapy. Perhaps even a total prostatectomy. After your therapy to put your cancer in remission, you began to wonder about a possible relapse? You now wonder if your prostate cancer diet post treatment makes a difference?
I have no research to support my thinking here but I believe that prostate cancer therapies can result in some of the most challenging long-term and late stage side effects of any cancer.
The therapies listed below are those conventional therapies shown to reduce the risk of relapse for PCa patients.
What therapies reduce the risk of prostate cancer recurrence after the patient undergoes therapy?
Adjuvant Radiation Therapy
- External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT): Often used after surgery (prostatectomy) if there is a high risk of recurrence, especially if there are positive surgical margins or seminal vesicle involvement.
- Brachytherapy: Internal radiation therapy can also be used in conjunction with EBRT in certain high-risk cases.
2. Hormone Therapy (Androgen Deprivation Therapy – ADT)
- LHRH Agonists/Antagonists: Medications that lower testosterone levels, which prostate cancer cells need to grow.
- Anti-Androgens: Block the action of testosterone on prostate cancer cells.
- Combination Therapy: Using both LHRH agonists/antagonists and anti-androgens together.
3. Chemotherapy
- Chemotherapy, such as docetaxel, may be used in conjunction with hormone therapy for high-risk patients, especially those with more advanced disease or metastatic cancer at diagnosis.
4. Immunotherapy
- Sipuleucel-T (Provenge): A type of vaccine that stimulates the body’s immune system to attack prostate cancer cells, primarily used in metastatic cases.
5. Targeted Therapy
- PARP Inhibitors: For patients with certain genetic mutations (e.g., BRCA1/2 mutations), targeted therapies like olaparib can be effective.
6. Active Surveillance and Regular Monitoring
- Regular PSA testing, imaging studies, and possibly biopsies to monitor for signs of recurrence. Early detection of recurrence can lead to more effective management.
7. Lifestyle Modifications
- Diet and Exercise: A healthy diet (rich in fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids) and regular exercise can help reduce the risk of recurrence and improve overall health.
- Smoking Cessation and Alcohol Moderation: Avoiding smoking and limiting alcohol intake can also contribute to reducing the risk of recurrence.
8. Bone-Directed Therapy
- For patients with bone metastases, treatments like bisphosphonates or denosumab can help prevent skeletal-related events and potentially slow cancer progression in the bones.
9. Clinical Trials
- Participation in clinical trials can provide access to new and experimental therapies that are not yet widely available but show promise in reducing the risk of recurrence.
10. Genetic Counseling and Testing
- For patients with a family history of prostate cancer or known genetic predispositions, genetic counseling and testing can help tailor the most appropriate follow-up and preventive strategies.
man hand holding his nutritional supplemets, healthy lifestyle background.
The right PCa diet can reduce your risk of recurrence relatively painlessly. Further, there are a number of evidence-based nutritional supplements shown to be anti-PCa. Meaning, combining the right nutritional plan with the right supplement plan will reduce your risk of PCa recurrence even more.
Are you a prostate cancer survivor who has recently undergone active PCa therapy such aa prostatectomy and you want to reduce your risk of relapse? If so, email me at David.PeopleBeatingCancer@gmail.com
Hang in there,
David Emerson
- Cancer Survivor
- Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Does Diet Affect Progression Risk After Prostate Cancer?
“After diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, men who predominantly consumed plant-based diets had disease progression only half as often as men who did not follow this diet, according to a US cohort study…
“What makes this relatively high-profile published study interesting is that it examined whether diet is relevant for the recurrence of prostate cancer in over 2000 men with 6.5 years of follow-up after diagnosis,” he continued. “This is a question that patients frequently ask us after surgery: If they can do anything to protect themselves from the disease recurring. And this study shows that eating more plants lowers the risk of progression. This information can be incorporated into counseling patients who inquire about it…”
Chronic Diseases
The PDI and hPDI were developed in 2016 in three large cohort studies and have already been linked to the risks for diabetes, coronary heart disease, and overall mortality; a lower risk for fatal prostate cancer; and better quality of life in men diagnosed with prostate cancer…
Lower Progression Risk
The 2062 participants were mostly White and had a median age of 65 years. A median of 31.3 months had elapsed between the diagnosis of prostate cancer and the completion of the FFQ. During a median follow-up of 6.5 years after completing the FFQ, 190 men had progression of prostate cancer, and there were 61 prostate cancer-specific deaths.
Men who consumed the most plant-based diets according to the PDI (ie, the highest quintile) had a 47% lower risk for disease progression than those in the lowest PDI quintile…
Liu and her colleagues concluded that a predominantly plant-based diet in men with prostate cancer could be associated with better prostate cancer-specific outcomes. “It may be beneficial to assess the diet of prostate cancer patients and offer nutritional counseling as needed to establish healthy eating habits and support well-being and overall health…”
“The data largely confirm what has already been shown in other studies, namely, that a Mediterranean diet with plenty of vegetables and fruits, healthy olive oil, fish, and not too much red meat is likely to be the most advantageous in terms of cancer diseases,” Merseburger concluded…