Introduction
This article concerns the issue of the role that diet and lifestyle factors plan in the development, progression, and management of prostate cancer. In particular, in the article, the habits that patients adopt in regard to diet after diagnosis and the risk of subsequent recurrence of the disease, progression, and death are studied. In the last few decades, the role that diet and nutrition play in the development, progress, and management of cancer has become an important area of study.
A large volume of the extant literature provides evidence that diet and nutrition, in addition to lifestyle factors such as exercise and smoking cessation, play an important role in reducing the risk of prostate cancer. In addition, the same factor reduces the risk of progression of cancer as well as death among patients with the disease.
Nevertheless, there is no conclusive evidence regarding the topic, which warrants further investigations through research. Consequently, the study by Peisch et al. (2017) is among the various research projects that are increasingly investigating the role that these factors play in the prevention and management of prostate as well as other forms of cancer.
Aim
This research topic, as indicated in the introduction section, is of particular importance in the modern healthcare profession. It is worth noting that prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer among males in the US and the world. Estimates by the American Cancer Society (2022) indicate that about 34,500 men die from cancer every year, and more than 268,400 cases of prostate cancer emerge every year. As a national healthcare problem in the US, prostate cancer needs immediate intervention.
One of the most notable approaches to the prevention and management of the disease is a focus on nutrition and diet, which has produced promising results through clinical trials as well as via actual intervention approaches. The aim of reading through this article is to develop a better understanding of how evidence from research and clinical trials supports the concept of using nutrition and diet, in addition to lifestyle changes, can help prevent and manage prostate cancer among men in the US in particular and the world in general.
Researcher’s Method
The researchers used a systematic review of the literature as their method of research. It is worth noting that a review of literature is a research approach or method that aims to determine the findings of past studies about a particular topic or issue of interest. It involves examining the topic, methods or approach, data used, and the findings of each identified research and comparing the findings of various studies before making a conclusion. In this case, () focused on the epidemiologic studies of post-diagnostic patient habits as well as cancer progression, recurrence, metastasis, and death. They examined the findings of past studies on the role that diet and nutrition, in addition to lifestyle factors, play in managing the risks and progression of prostate cancer.
Results
From the review of the literature, the researchers found that an array of dietary and lifestyle factors affect the progression of prostate cancer. They established that such dietary factors as the consumption of cruciferous vegetables, coffee, healthy vegetable fats, and tomato sauce/lycopene has the potential to reduce the risks of the progression of prostate cancer. This graph shows the type of products that are likely to help reduce the risk of progression of prostate cancer in men.
Conclusions
Based on the findings in the article, it is worth concluding here that diet and nutrition are some of the factors that play an important role in the risk of development and progression of prostate cancer before and after treatment. It appears that if people keenly adhere to dietary recommendations by experts, it is possible to reduce the risk of developing cancer as well as its risk of progression among those already affected. The research implies that in addition to lifestyle changes, people should be strict with their diet, especially men at risk of prostate cancer and those already affected by the disease. It also suggests that practitioners in the healthcare sector need to use diet and nutrition as one of the approaches to managing prostate cancer in patients and educating the public about the importance of adhering to the appropriate nutrition and diet. Policymakers in the industry should also consider developing effective programs to educate the public about the same issue. As such, one of the questions that emerged when reading the article is, “What are the various healthy foods that people should consume to prevent the progression of prostate cancer?” Also, one would ask, “How effective are these dietary approaches in managing and treating various forms of cancer?” The next step would be to study whether the same dietary factors play a role in the progression of other forms of cancer and the extent of their effectiveness.
References
American Cancer Society, ACS, (2022). Key statistics for prostate cancer. Web.
Peisch, S. F., Van Blarigan, E. L., Chan, J. M., Stampfer, M. J., & Kenfield, S. A. (2017). Prostate cancer progression and mortality: A review of diet and lifestyle factors. World Journal of Urology, 35(6), 867-874.