Preventing prostate cancer

To date there is no evidence that prostate cancer can be prevented. However you may be able to lower your risk of developing the disease.

A low-fat diet consisting mainly of vegetables, fruits and grains such as rice may help to reduce your risk for prostate cancer. You may also want to limit high-fat foods from animal sources. Eat five or more servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Other healthy foods include bread, cereals, pasta and beans.

Substances in foods called antioxidants, which are found especially in fruits, vegetables and beans, help prevent damage to the DNA in the body's cells. This damage has been linked to disease including cancer.

Lycopenes, in particular, are antioxidants that have been linked to a lower risk of prostate cancer. They are present in foods such as tomatoes (raw or cooked), spinach, artichoke hearts, beans, berries (especially blueberries), pink grapefruit, red oranges and watermelons.

Some clinical trials are looking at the benefits of various “chemoprevention” protocols designed to lower the risk of prostate cancer. So far, it's too soon to know if there are any new ways to prevent prostate cancer, although there have been some promising results from drugs in clinical trials.

Studies of men taking the drug finasteride have shown they were about 25% less likely to develop prostate cancer than those taking a placebo. Finasteride is currently used to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or male pattern baldness. The findings from the Prostate Cancer Prevention Trial also suggested that finasteride was associated with an increased risk of sexual side effects and of prostate cancers with a tendency to be more aggressive (higher-grade), though later research has not confirmed this. As things stand it is not clear whether it is beneficial to take finasteride as a means of preventing prostate cancer.

Using vitamin supplements may affect your risk of prostate cancer. Some studies show that taking vitamin E may lower the risk of prostate cancer, while others show no impact on cancer risk. Taking selenium may also lower your risk. The SELECT trial is a large trial studying whether taking vitamin E and selenium supplements could prevent prostate cancer. It found that taking vitamin E and/or selenium for an average of 5.5 years did not prevent prostate cancer, but the researchers are continuing to monitor those men who took part in the trial.

Before taking any supplements it is advisable first to talk to your doctor. 

Screening guidelines

Not all medical institutions and advocacy groups agree on whether or when men should be screened (routinely tested) for prostate cancer. As is the case with most other types of cancer, early detection often means more treatment options are available and less extensive treatment is required. However screening may result in needless anxiety and unnecessary treatment in some cases. PSA testing is available on request through the National Health Service (NHS) under the Department of Health’s Prostate Cancer Risk Management Programme. However as yet routine population screening using the PSA test has not been introduced in the UK. Men may wish to consider asking for a PSA test once they reach 50 years old, or 40 years old for black men and those with a family history of prostate cancer, who are at higher risk.