For Immediate Release
August 11, 2005

Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) Study Recruiting 25 Prostate Cancer Patients

BUFFALO, NY – Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) is recruiting 25 men with clinically localized prostate cancer for the Men’s Eating and Living (MEAL) Study to determine if they can change their diet to one that might slow the growth of their disease.

James Marshall, PhD, senior vice president for Cancer Prevention & Population Sciences at RPCI, is coordinator of this multi-site pilot study that includes the University of California at San Diego, Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center and Southeastern Medical Oncology Center. James Mohler, MD, Chair of Urologic Oncology at RPCI, is the principal investigator of the Roswell Park component of the study.

Prostate cancer patients between 50 and 80 years of age, diagnosed within the previous four years, may be eligible for this study. Patients selected will begin by completing a set of questionnaires related to their current health status, food preparation, eating habits, exercise patterns, and their usual food intake over the past year. They also will have a blood sample taken to establish baseline levels of carotenoids (nutritional agents found in plants) and lipids (cholesterol).

Participants will be assigned by chance to a diet group or an intensive counseling group. The diet group will be mailed nutrition information from the National Cancer Institute describing a diet with increased amount of vegetables, fruits and fiber that might protect against cancer. Those in the intensive counseling group will receive telephone-counseling assistance to help them increase the amount of vegetables and fiber in their diets.

At the end of the six-month study period, researchers will evaluate both groups for changes in dietary practices by re-interviewing participants and by comparing carotenoid and lipid levels in blood samples taken at the end of the study with the baseline levels obtained at the beginning of the study.

“Research suggests that diet may affect the risk of developing and the growth of prostate cancer, but more studies are needed to establish this link,” according to Dr. Marshall. “We don’t know whether the diet being tested will benefit men with prostate cancer, but before the diet can be tested in a large-scale study, we must first determine if men with prostate cancer are willing to try to change their diet and, more importantly, will they change their diet. This pilot study is expected to give us that answer.” Dr. Mohler added, “Women diagnosed with breast cancer have demonstrated their ability to change their diet. It’s time for men to prove they can too.”

For more information on the study and eligibility, call 1-877- ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724).
Roswell Park Cancer Institute, founded in 1898, is the nation’s first cancer research, treatment and education center and is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in Upstate New York. RPCI is a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers. For more information, visit RPCI’s website at www.roswellpark.org, or call 1-877-ASK-RPCI (1-877-275-7724) or e-mail askrpci@roswellpark.org.

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