Men with prostate cancer may be more likely to have the most serious form of the disease if their diet contains a lot of fat from meat and dairy, a recent study suggests.

The increased risk tied to saturated fat and cholesterol was greater for the prostate cancer patients who had not been taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs, researchers report in the journal Prostate Cancer and Prostatic Diseases.

"A diet high in saturated fat contributes to high blood cholesterol levels," which have already been linked to worse outcomes for prostate cancer, said lead author Emma Allott of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

They found that men with more aggressive prostate cancer consumed more calories and more cholesterol every day and had a higher percentage of calories from fat in their diets. People concerned about cancer "can cut down on the amount of saturated fat in their diets by choosing lean cuts of meat and low-fat dairy products, and by cooking with plant-based oils," Allot said.