A new study from the American Cancer Society (ACS) reports that men diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer who adopted the ACS Nutrition and Physical Activity Guideline for Cancer Survivors after diagnosis live longer. Over 14 years of follow-up, men with the highest adherence to the guideline were 23% less likely to die from any cause and 25% less likely to die from cardiovascular disease compared with those with the lowest adherence. The ACS guideline recommends avoiding obesity, engaging in regular physical activity, following a healthy diet, and limiting alcohol. The study is published today in JAMA Network Open.

“Even men who were not following the guideline before their prostate cancer diagnosis, but improved afterward, experienced lower mortality compared with men who maintained low adherence, ” said Dr. Valeria Elahy, post-doctoral fellow in cancer epidemiology, prevention, and survivorship at the ACS and lead author of the study. “It’s never too late to benefit from adopting healthier lifestyle behaviors.”

Researchers tracked 4,232 men aged 65 to 73 years, diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer between 1992 and 2003, for up to 14 years. Mortality outcomes were verified through linkage with the National Death Index. During follow-up, 3,101 men died, including 912 from cardiovascular disease and 453 from prostate cancer.

Pre- and post-diagnosis ACS guideline adherence was measured using a score where higher scores indicated greater adherence. The greatest survival advantage came from engaging in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, or a combination of both, and maintaining a body mass index under 30 kg/m².

“Cardiovascular disease is the most common non-cancer cause of death for this group of men,” said Dr. Ying Wang, senior principal scientist, epidemiology research at the ACS and senior author of the study. “Our results suggest that healthy lifestyle behaviors can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease mortality. Future research should evaluate how best to support survivors in adopting and sustaining these behaviors.”

Other ACS researchers contributing to the study include Christina Newton, MSPH, Dr. Majorie McCullough, Dr. Lauren Teras, Dr. Clara Bodelon, Dr. Erika Rees-Punia, Dr. Caroline Um, Dr. Laura Makaroff, and Dr. Alpa Patel.