PURPOSE: Epidemiological and laboratory evidence indicates that a Western diet 
is associated with an increased incidence of prostate cancer. Specific 
components of the diet, such as high saturated fat, low fiber and high meat 
content, may have greatest clinical significance in the later stages of tumor 
promotion and progression. However, departure from the conventional diet is 
difficult to initiate and maintain. Therefore, we combined the well-known 
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program with a low saturated fat, 
high-fiber, plant-based diet to determine the effect on the rate of change in 
prostate specific antigen (PSA) in patients with biochemical recurrence after 
prostatectomy.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 10 men and their partners in a 4-month 
group-based diet and MBSR intervention. A pre-study post-study design in which 
each subject served as his own control was used to compare the rate of increase 
in and doubling time of PSA before and after intervention.
RESULTS: The rate of PSA increase decreased in 8 of 10 men, while 3 had a 
decrease in absolute PSA. Results of the signed rank test indicated a 
significant decrease in the rate of increase in the intervention period (p = 
0.01). Estimated median doubling time increased from 6.5 months (95% confidence 
interval 3.7 to 10.1) before to 17.7 months (95% confidence interval 7.8 to 
infinity) after the intervention.
CONCLUSIONS: Our small study provides evidence that a plant-based diet delivered 
in the context of MBSR decreases the rate of PSA increase and may slow the rate 
of tumor progression in cases of biochemically recurrent prostate cancer. 
Larger-scale randomized studies are warranted to explore further the preventive 
and therapeutic potential of diet and lifestyle modification in men with 
prostate cancer.