Grant: Operating Grant: Impact Grant : CEEHRC Phase II

Prostate (PCa) cancer is the most common non-skin cancer diagnosed in Canadian men with an estimated 21,300 new cases and approximately 4,100 deaths expected in 2017. At the time of diagnosis, some cancers will show aggressive characteristics guiding the urologist towards immediate intervention (surgery, radiotherapy, etc...). However, most indolent low-grade PCa are better left untreated. PCa will often have an unpredictable evolution, complicating a personalized intervention. The environment, most specifically the Westernized diet, is associated with higher risk of developing PCa. Environmental factors, like the diet, influence the expression of genes without modifying the genetic code. This form of gene regulation is known as epigenetic (the prefix epi- stands for "around", meaning additional information added to the genetic code). Our results from an ongoing clinical trial with men on an active surveillance protocol for a low-grade PCa show that a dietary intervention is sufficient to slow down evolution of the disease toward a more lethal form. The proposed project aim to identify which patients will benefit from a dietary intervention. In addition, we will investigate why some patients are not responding to the nutritional changes. Our long term goal is to use the epigenetic information to optimize dietary interventions for prevention and clinical management of PCa patients.