Klin Onkol 2020; 33(Suppl 1): 52-59. DOI: 10.14735/amko2020S52.
Background: According to the World Health Organization, prostate cancer is the world’s second most common cancer in men. International statistics show that prostate cancer incidence is highest in developed countries such as North America, Australia and New Zealand and Northern and Western Europe, and lowest in Asia. The large differences in the prostate cancer incidence between the Western world and Asian countries may be due to genetic differences, differences in prostate-specific antigen testing, availability of medical care and environmental factors. The changes in the incidence of prostate cancer observed in migrants who moved from the areas with lower incidence to the areas with higher incidence support the theory of diet’s impact on the risk of prostate cancer. Some studies show that vegetarian and vegan men also have lower incidence of prostate cancer than omnivorous men. The influence of diet and lifestyle in prevention of non-communicable diseases is becoming an important topic. The foods that are associated with a higher risk of developing prostate cancer include processed meat, red meat, animal fat, and in some studies milk and dairy products. Purpose: Research in this area frequently confirms the influence of certain nutrients contained in a whole-food plant-based diet in preventing non-communicable diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some types of cancer. Whole-food plant-based diet contains less saturated fatty acids than omnivorous diet, and no cholesterol and is rich in nutrients with a protective effect, such as antioxidants, carotenoids, and fiber.
