Dietary Intervention In Prostate Cancer - The Latest Facts

Research says that 47% of patients are asymptomatic,(1) however, symptoms in advanced stages include weight loss and loss of appetite; bone pain, with or without pathologic fracture and lower extremity pain and water retention.
While risk factors such as age, race, and family history cannot be controlled, a growing body of data suggests that it may be a preventable disease. Prevention means minimizing/avoiding the risk factors and focusing on enhancing the protective factors that can be controlled so that the probability of developing cancer decreases.  Prostate cancer is an attractive target for chemo-prevention because of its ubiquity, long latency between appearance of pre-cancer lesions and clinically evident cancer, and definitive stages of progression.
Broadly, prevention strategies involve these:

•    The right amount of calories to maintain a good weight
•    Enough protein to keep up your strength
•    Right amount & types of fats to maintain a healthy lipid profile
•    A healthful plant-based diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains
•    Adequate physical activity

Specifically, Phytoestrogens/isoflavones, vitamins D and E, selenium, and lycopene have been identified as promising nutrients in the role of chemoprevention of prostate cancer.
Selenium: Selenium is believed to extend its effect via its antioxidant properties. Selenium is found in rice, wheat, meat, seafood and Brazil nuts etc.
Vitamin E: We get vitamin E in a wide range of foods, especially vegetables, vegetable oils, nuts, and egg yolks. Vitamin E, like selenium, is an antioxidant, which might help control cell damage that can lead to cancer.
Soy: Frequent consumption of soymilk (at least daily) was associated with a 70% reduction in the risk of developing prostate cancer.(2)
Lycopene: It is found primarily in tomatoes and tomato-derived products and in other red fruits and vegetables. However, further studies are required to prove that it helps lowering the risk.
Although you can avoid the risk factors, it is important to bear in mind that there is no `guarantee' that you will not get cancer. Remember, some people are more genetically predisposed to developing specific cancers, than others. Talk to your health care provider about methods of preventing cancer that might be effective for you.
References:
1.    Dan Theodorescu, MD, PhD, Paul Mellon Professor of Urologic Oncology, Department of Urology, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Prostate Cancer: Biology, Diagnosis, Pathology, Staging, and Natural History. http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3537.htm
2.    Jacobsen BK et al. (1998) Does high soymilk reduce prostate cancer incidence? The Adventist Health Study (United States). Cancer Causes Control 9: 553-557

By P. Shanmugaraj, Dietitian, NutritionVista.com