Lifestyle factors may influence prostate cancer risk in Indian men, finds study

A new research paper was published in Volume 13 of Oncoscience on April 28, 2026, titled "Modifiable risk factors of prostate cancer: Insights from a hospital-based study."

The study was led by first author Maya Kulshekar and corresponding author Anuradha B. Patil from the Department of Biochemistry, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research, Belagavi, Karnataka, India.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer among men worldwide and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Although the incidence of prostate cancer remains lower in India than in many Western countries, the number of cases is expected to increase in the coming decades. Identifying modifiable lifestyle factors that may influence disease risk could help support future prevention strategies.

In this study, researchers investigated whether common lifestyle habits were associated with prostate cancer risk among men receiving care at a tertiary hospital in India. The team evaluated factors including tobacco chewing, smoking, alcohol consumption, tea drinking, coffee intake, meat consumption, and farming-related occupational exposure.

The study included 72 men with histologically confirmed prostate cancer and 132 control participants with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Researchers used multivariate logistic regression analysis to assess associations between lifestyle factors and prostate cancer risk.

The analysis revealed that coffee consumption and meat intake were associated with lower odds of prostate cancer. After adjustment for potential confounding factors, coffee consumption was associated with approximately 65% lower odds of prostate cancer, while meat consumption was associated with approximately 48% lower odds.

In contrast, no statistically significant associations were observed for alcohol consumption, tobacco chewing, smoking, tea intake, or farming occupation after adjustment for other variables. Although smoking and tobacco use initially appeared to be associated with higher odds of prostate cancer, these relationships were no longer statistically significant in the adjusted analysis.

The investigators also discussed several biological mechanisms that could potentially explain the observed findings. Coffee contains bioactive compounds such as cafestol, kahweol, caffeine, and antioxidant polyphenols that have been studied for anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-cancer properties. Certain compounds found in meat, including trans-vaccenic acid, have also been linked to immune responses that may influence cancer biology.

However, the authors emphasize that the relationship between diet and prostate cancer remains complex. Previous studies have produced conflicting findings regarding the effects of coffee, meat, tea, alcohol, and tobacco on prostate cancer risk. The researchers note that their study evaluated overall consumption patterns and did not distinguish between different types of meat, preparation methods, or levels of intake.

“The present study concludes that an increased intake of coffee and meat may be linked to a reduced risk of developing prostate cancer.”

According to the authors, the findings should be interpreted cautiously. The study was conducted at a single hospital, involved a relatively small number of participants, and may not fully represent the broader population. Additional limitations included possible recall bias and the lack of detailed information regarding dietary quantities, duration of exposure, and specific lifestyle patterns.

Overall, this study provides new insights into potentially modifiable factors associated with prostate cancer risk among Indian men. While coffee and meat consumption were linked to lower odds of prostate cancer in this hospital-based analysis, larger multicenter studies will be needed to confirm these findings and clarify the biological mechanisms involved.

Reference:

Maya Kulshekar, Anuradha B. Patil and Rajendra B. Nerli, Modifiable risk factors of prostate cancer: Insights from a hospital-based study, Oncoscience, https://doi.org/10.18632/oncoscience.657