By David Liu, PHD

Saturday Sept 1, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Drinking whole milk may increase risk of death from prostate cancer, according to a new study in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

The study led by Andreas Pettersson of Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues showed men with prostate cancer who drank the highest amounts of whole milk after diagnosis were more than twice as likely as those who drank the lowest amounts to develop advanced lethal prostate cancer.

The study was conducted to examine whether postdiagnostic consumption of  milk and other dairy products is associated with lethal prostate cancer (metastases and prostate cancer death).

For the study, the researchers analysed data on milk and dairy consumption collected through repeated questionnaires from 3,918 men who were diagnosed with localized prostate cancer between 1986 and 2006 and followed to 2008. All participants were part of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study.

During the follow-up, 229 prostate cancer patients died from the disease and an additional 69 had develop metastases.

The researchers found overall, total intake of milk and dairy intakes postdiagnosis were not correlated with a greater risk of advanced prostate cancer.

Men with the highest intake of low-fat dairy intake were 38 percent less likely than those with the lowest intake to have progression of prostate cancer into advanced disease or metastases or death.

However, men who had the highest intake of whole milk were 115 percent more likely to experience progression of prostate cancer, compared to those who had the lowest intake.

The researchers concluded "With the exception of whole milk, our results suggest that milk and dairy intake after a prostate cancer diagnosis is not associated with an increased risk of lethal prostate cancer."

There is some controversy about how dairy products like milk affects the risk of developing prostate cancer and prognosis of the disease. Food consumers are encouraged to look into the issue and find the answer themselves.