Related Experiment Videos
Dietary fat and prostate cancer
Neil Fleshner1, P Scott Bagnell, Laurence Klotz
1Division of Urology and Department of Surgical Oncology, Princess Margaret Hospital, University of Toronto, Canada. neil.fleshner@utoronto.ca
The Journal of Urology
|January 10, 2004
Summary
Dietary fat intake may promote prostate cancer, but evidence is inconsistent. Further human studies and dietary interventions are needed to clarify the association between fat consumption and prostate cancer risk.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Environmental Health
Background:
- Prostate cancer development is linked to environmental promoters.
- Dietary fat is a suspected tumor promoter, but evidence is debated.
- Hypothesized mechanisms include energy intake, hormonal changes, and oxidative stress.
Purpose of the Study:
- To critically appraise evidence linking dietary fat to prostate cancer.
- To review biologically plausible associations between fat intake and prostate cancer.
- To assess the role of dietary fat as a potential prostate cancer promoter.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and critical appraisal of 33 published studies.
- Analysis included case-control and cohort studies.
- Evaluation of associations between dietary fat, specific fatty foods, and prostate cancer.
Main Results:
- Evidence for a link between dietary fat and prostate cancer is consistent, despite methodological biases.
- Eight studies found statistically significant associations.
- Several studies indicated links between specific fatty foods (milk, meat) and prostate cancer.
Conclusions:
- Further corroborative human studies are essential to define the dietary fat-prostate cancer relationship.
- Prospective studies involving dietary intervention are recommended.
- Clarifying the role of dietary fat in prostate cancer etiology requires more research.