Lifestyle Changes May Slow Progression of Prostate Cancer Paula Moyer, MA Men with prostate cancer who change their diet and make other lifestyle changes may also improve the course of their disease, according to investigators who published their findings in the September issue of The Journal of Urology. The investigative team, headed by diet entrepreneur Dean Ornish, MD, found that a completely vegetarian diet, in combination with exercise and meditation, was associated with a reduction in baseline prostate specific antigen (PSA) and growth of prostate carcinoma cells with the experimental and control groups were compared. "Changes in serum PSA and [prostate cancer] cell growth from baseline to 12 months were significantly different between the groups, showing more favorable changes in the experimental group," the authors wrote. "Specifically serum PSA decreased an average of 0.25 ng/ml or 4% of the baseline average in the experimental group but it showed an average increase of 0.38 ng/ml or 6% of the baseline average in the control group (P = 0.016)." The investigators conducted the study to understand more clearly whether such changes could affect the course of prostate cancer. They recruited 93 men with early localized prostate cancer and randomly assigned them to usual care or to the experimental group, which underwent extensive lifestyle changes. After following the men for a year, the investigators found that none of those in the experimental group but six in the control group underwent conventional prostate cancer treatment due to a rise in serum PSA. In addition to the changes in serum PSA and slowed growth of prostate cancer cells, the investigators also found that prostate cancer cell growth was inhibited nearly eight times more by serum from the experimental group than it was by serum from the controls (P < .001). However, the investigators cautioned that the intensive lifestyle changes may be difficult to follow for patients. They also noted that due to the short duration of the study, the investigators could not associate the improved disease findings with any effect on survival. J Urol. 2005;174:1065-1070 Reviewed by Gary D. Vogin, MD Source: Medscape Medical News, 9/05 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.