Adherence to ACS Guideline Linked to Lower Mortality in Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer

TUESDAY, Sept. 30, 2025 (HealthDay News) — For men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer, higher postdiagnosis concordance to the American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guideline for Cancer Survivors, which recommends avoiding obesity, engaging in regular physical activity, and following a healthy diet, is associated with lower all-cause (ACM) and cardiovascular disease mortality (CVDM), according to a study published online Sept. 26 in JAMA Network Open.

Valeria Elahy, Ph.D., from the American Cancer Society in Atlanta, and colleagues examined the association between postdiagnosis ACS guideline concordance and mortality in nonmetastatic prostate cancer survivors using data from the Cancer Prevention Study-II Nutrition Cohort.

Overall, there were 3,101 ACM, 912 CVDM, and 453 prostate cancer-specific mortality (PCSM) outcomes among 4,232 prostate cancer survivors followed for a median of 14.1 years. The researchers observed a significant association for a higher postdiagnosis ACS score with a lower risk for ACM and CVDM (hazard ratios, 0.77 and 0.75, respectively, for 6 to 8 versus 0 to 3; hazard ratios, 0.94 and 0.93, respectively, per one-point increase); results for PCSM were not significant. When stratified by tumor aggressiveness, the results were similar. Lower mortality risk was seen for patients who improved their guideline concordance after diagnosis or who maintained high concordance compared with those who maintained low scores.

“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,” Elahy said in a statement. “It”s never too late to benefit from adopting healthier lifestyle behaviors.”

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