A trial looking at diet and exercise after surgery for prostate cancer (PrEvENT)

The team found that it was possible to do a bigger clinical trial.

Trial design
This was a phase 2 trial. It was a randomised trial. After their surgery 81 men were put into groups. Neither they not their doctor chose which group they were in. 

The groups were a combination of physical activity and diet. The physical activity was a brisk walk for 30 minutes at least 5 days a week. The diet was either:

• taking a supplement called lycopene 
• eating as much fruit and vegetable as possible aiming for 5 portions a day while decreasing their intake of dairy products such as milk (plant diet)
• continue with their normal diet

The groups were:

• 14 men did a brisk walk and followed the plant diet
• 14 men did a brisk walk and took lycopene
• 13 men continued with their usual physical activity and followed the plant diet
• 14 men continued with their usual physical activity and took lycopene
• 14 men did a brisk walk and continued with their usual diet
• 12 men continued with their usual physical activity and their usual diet

The men who followed their usual diet or activity were given information that is available to the public if they asked for it.

Results
The trial went on for 6 months. Of the 81 men, 75 men completed the 6 months.

Of the men who had the plant diet:

• 10 followed the fruit and vegetable recommendations
• 18 followed the recommendations to reduce their dairy intake

Of the men who took lycopene 28 did so. Of the men who did the brisk walking 21 did so.

There were 3 side effects reported that may have been due to taking part in the trial. These were:

• indigestion
• bloating
• knee pain

Conclusion
The team concluded it would be possible to do a bigger clinical trial because:

• men were willing to take part
• most of the men stayed in the trial till the end
• they found it acceptable

They suggest that researchers do a bigger trial to find out whether diet and exercise after surgery for prostate cancer can help prevent it coming back. 

A larger trial is being planned to use the results of the PrEVeNT trial. 

More detailed information
There is more information about this research in the reference below. 

Please note, this article may not be in plain English. It has been written for health care professionals and researchers.

Journal article
Phase II randomised control feasibility trial of a nutrition and physical activity intervention after radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer

Lucy E Hackshaw-McGeagh and others

BMJ Open, 2019, Volume 9, Issue 11

Where this information comes from    
We have based this summary on the information in the article above. This has been reviewed by independent specialists (peer reviewed ) and published in a medical journal. We have not analysed the data ourselves. As far as we are aware, the link we list above is active and the article is free and available to view.