Healthy lifestyle choices can support general health and wellbeing for people living with prostate cancer. They may also help with some effects of treatment. Lifestyle measures should support, rather than replace, medical treatment recommended by your healthcare team.
There is no lifestyle programme, complementary therapy, diet, supplement or alternative treatment that has been proven to cure prostate cancer.
Looking after your overall health
Useful areas to consider include eating a balanced diet, staying physically active where possible, maintaining muscle and a healthy weight, getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol, not smoking, and looking after emotional wellbeing.
Your needs may change during treatment. If you have fatigue, pain, weight loss, reduced mobility or another health condition, ask your healthcare team what is appropriate for you.
See our Nutrition and Exercise pages for more information.
Emotional wellbeing and relaxation
A cancer diagnosis and treatment can affect emotional as well as physical wellbeing. Relaxation techniques, mindfulness, meditation and other supportive activities may help some people manage stress, anxiety or treatment-related symptoms.
These approaches are best regarded as supportive measures rather than treatments for the cancer itself. Support groups can also provide an opportunity to talk with people who have faced similar experiences.
Complementary and alternative therapies
A complementary therapy is used alongside conventional medical care and may help some people with wellbeing or particular symptoms. An alternative therapy is used instead of conventional medical treatment.
There is no scientific evidence that alternative therapies can cure cancer. Some therapies, herbal products and supplements can also cause side effects or interact with cancer medicines.
If you are considering a complementary therapy, supplement or herbal product, discuss it with your doctor, pharmacist, clinical nurse specialist or other member of your cancer team. Do not stop or delay prescribed cancer treatment in favour of an alternative therapy without discussing this with your specialist team.
Read NHS information about herbal medicines and complementary therapies.
Read Cancer Research UK information about complementary and alternative therapies.
For more detail on using supportive therapies safely alongside medical care, see our Complementary Therapies page.
Physical activity
Regular physical activity can benefit general health, strength, mood and physical function. It can also help some people manage treatment effects. The right amount and type of activity will depend on your fitness, treatment and other medical conditions.
If you have advanced cancer, bone problems, significant treatment side effects or have been inactive for a long time, ask your healthcare team for advice before making a major change to your activity level.
Be cautious about cancer-treatment claims
Be particularly cautious about websites, videos, programmes or products that claim to detoxify the body, boost the immune system enough to cure cancer, starve cancer, or cure cancer through diet or lifestyle alone.
Personal testimonials can be powerful, but they cannot show whether a treatment works or whether it is safe. Reliable cancer treatments are assessed through clinical research.
Questions to discuss with your healthcare team
- Are there lifestyle changes that would be particularly useful during my treatment?
- Is this complementary therapy safe alongside my cancer treatment?
- Could this supplement or herbal product interact with my medicines?
- Would I benefit from support from a dietitian, physiotherapist or exercise specialist?
- Where can I find reliable information about a treatment or health claim I have seen online?
This page provides general information about lifestyle and wellbeing for people affected by prostate cancer. Lifestyle and complementary approaches should not be used as substitutes for evidence-based cancer diagnosis, monitoring or treatment.