Can Diet Alter the Progression of Prostate Cancer?
Stony Brook clinical trial examines long-term effects of eating more vegetables, fruits and fiber
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| Dr. Howard Adler |
STONY BROOK, N.Y., October 3, 2014 – The Prostate Care Program at Stony Brook Medicine is seeking men who have been diagnosed with prostatecancer to participate in a study to see if diet affects disease progression. Called the Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) Study, sponsored nationally by the Alliance for Clinical Trials Oncology, part of a clinical trials network of the National Cancer Institute, the trial involves altering one’s diet to include more vegetables, whole grains, fruit and fiber. Stony Brook is one of the sites participating in New York State, and the only one in Suffolk County.
“A heart healthy diet, such as eating more fruits and vegetables, may be a prostate healthy diet,” said Howard Adler, MD, Medical Director of the Prostate Care Program and lead investigator. “We cannot predict the progression of prostate cancer, but for men with clinically localized and low risk prostate cancer evidence suggests that diet may alter the progression.”
The goal of the study, which lasts for two years, is to find out more about how dietary intervention may prevent prostate cancer from getting worse. The trial requires participants to monitor their diet, and make dietary changes that will include increased amounts of vegetables, fiber, and fruit. Participants will be followed every three monthby their physician to assess localized disease status. Follow-up also includes questionnaires and blood tests.
Eligible participants include men 70 years of age and younger who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. Initial biopsy results showing diagnosis of disease determines eligibility. Disease must be localized, and patients with regional or distant metastatic disease are not eligible. Patients on Coumadin or other blood thinners are also not eligible.
For more information about the trial, call the Prostate Care Program at 631-444-1176.
Participating in Approved Human Research Studies at Stony Brook
Stony Brook University supports medical advances for our patients through safe and ethical research involving volunteers from our surrounding community. Stony Brook University is accredited through the Association for the Accreditation of Human Research Protection Programs, Inc. (AAHRPP), and has an approved assurance of compliance with the Federal Office for Human Research Protections. For more information on what it means to be a research subject, as well as how to participate in approved research studies conducted at Stony Brook University, please visit this Stony Brook research website.
