Post-diagnostic health behaviour scores and risk of prostate cancer progression and mortality

Individual behaviours are associated with prostate cancer (PC) progression. Behavioural scores, comprised of multiple risk factors, allow assessment of the combined impact of multiple behaviours.

We examined the association between six a priori scores and risk of PC progression and mortality among 2156 men with PC in the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor (CaPSURE) cohort: two scores developed based on the PC survivorship literature ('2021 Score [+ Diet]'); a score developed based on pre-diagnostic PC literature ('2015 Score'); and three scores based on US recommendations for cancer prevention ('WCRF/AICR Score') and survival ('ACS Score [+ Alcohol]'). Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated for progression and PC mortality via parametric survival models (interval censoring) and Cox models, respectively.

Over a median (IQR) of 6.4 (1.3, 13.7) years, we observed 192 progression and 73 PC mortality events. Higher (i.e., healthier) 2021 Score + Diet and WCRF/AICR Scores were inversely associated with risk of PC progression (2021 + Diet: HR_continuous = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.63-0.90.

HR_continuous = 0.83, 95% CI: 0.67-1.02) and mortality (2021 + Diet: HR_continuous = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.45-0.93.

HR_continuous = 0.71; 95% CI: 0.57-0.89). The ACS Score + Alcohol was only associated with progression (HR_continuous = 0.89, 95% CI: 0.81-0.98) while the 2021 Score was only associated with PC mortality (HR_continuous = 0.62, 95% CI: 0.45-0.85). The 2015 was not associated with PC progression or mortality.

Findings strengthen the evidence that behavioural modifications following a prostate cancer diagnosis may improve clinical outcomes.