Evaluating recommendation-based dietary and physical activity strategies for prostate cancer prevention: a target trial emulation in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study

The 2018 World Cancer Research Fund/American Institute for Cancer Research recommends sustained strategies of physical activity and diet for cancer prevention, but evidence for long-term prostate cancer risk is limited. Using observational data from 27 859 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, we emulated a target trial of recommendation-based physical activity and dietary strategies and 26-year risks of prostate cancer, adjusting for risk factors via the parametric g-formula. Compared with no intervention, limiting sugar-sweetened beverages showed a 0.4% (0.0%-0.9%) lower risk of lethal (metastatic or fatal) disease and 0.5% (0.1%-0.9%) lower risk of fatal disease. Restricting consumption of processed foods showed a 0.4% to 0.9% higher risk of all prostate cancer outcomes. Estimated risk differences for clinically significant disease were close to null for strategies involving fruits and nonstarchy vegetables, whole grains and legumes, red meat, and processed meat, as well as under a joint strategy of physical activity and diet. Compared with a “low-adherence” strategy, maintaining recommended physical activity levels showed a 0.4% (0.1%-0.8%) lower risk of lethal and 0.5% (0.2%-0.8%) lower risk of fatal disease. Adhering to specific components of current physical activity and dietary recommendations may help to prevent lethal and fatal prostate cancer over 26 years.