Dr. Freedland on Diet and Lifestyle Interventions in Patients With Prostate Cancer

Stephen J. Freedland, MD, director, Center for Integrated Research in Cancer and Lifestyle, co-director, Cancer Genetics and Prevention Program, associate director, Faculty Development Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, professor of surgery, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, discusses nuanced diet and lifestyle interventions in patients with prostate cancer.

Rarely is a quick answer the right answer in terms of diet and lifestyle changes for patients with prostate cancer, says Freedland. The challenge is finding a balanced approach that works for each patient; losing weight, exercising more, and stopping smoking are all part of the equation. A quick fix like cutting red meat out isn’t necessarily the answer. A lot of healthy diets can incorporate red meat, particularly if it’s grain fed, not overcooked, and not processed.

Physicians should work with dieticians and exercise physiologists to improve a patient’s diet to help increase their tolerability to treatment and potentially slow the cancer down.