Prostate Cancer

Also known asProstate Cancer Prevention · Cancer of the Prostate · PSA Test · 前列腺癌 · 摄护腺癌 · Kanser Prostat

What it is

Prostate cancer starts in the prostate gland and is one of the most common cancers in men. It is more common with age, a family history, and in men of African descent. Many cases grow slowly and may never cause problems, though some are aggressive.

How food and lifestyle can help

Research has not found a food that prevents prostate cancer. Being overweight is linked with more aggressive disease, so a healthy weight and the same pattern that protects the heart, with plenty of vegetables, fruit, whole grains, beans and fish and less processed meat, makes sense. Whether to be tested with a PSA blood test is a decision to make with your doctor.

Foods and nutrients to focus on

1. Vegetables, fruit, whole grains and beans.
2. Fish, poultry and nuts in place of processed meat.
3. A healthy weight, and regular exercise.

Foods and drinks to limit

1. Processed meat and a lot of red meat.
2. Very high calcium intake from supplements: not proven, but best avoided without advice.
3. High-dose vitamin E or selenium supplements: they did not prevent prostate cancer in large trials, and vitamin E may raise the risk.

Good to know

1. Tomatoes and lycopene, soya foods and green tea have been studied, but results are mixed; enjoy them as part of a healthy diet rather than as protection.
2. Most urine problems in older men are caused by a benign enlarged prostate, not cancer.
3. Treatment decisions (active surveillance, surgery, radiotherapy, hormone therapy) are individual; diet advice during treatment should come from your cancer team.

When to see a doctor

1. Needing to pass urine more often, especially at night, difficulty starting or a weak flow, blood in the urine or semen, or pain in the back, hips or pelvis.
2. You are over 50 (or over 45 with a family history, or of African descent) and want to discuss PSA testing.
3. You are being treated for prostate cancer: ask your cancer team before changing your diet or taking supplements.

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have a medical condition or take medicines, check changes to your diet with your doctor or a registered dietitian.

NHS — Prostate cancer, used for the main facts: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/prostate-cancer/