When researchers at Liverpool's John Moores University examined the findings of dozens of studies, most of them peer reviewed, on cases of paternal discrepancy, the results varied dramatically.

The studies, published over the past 54 years, came from countries as varied as the United States, Finland, New Zealand, South Africa and Mexico.

Apparently some concluded that only one man in 100 is not the father of his child, while others put the figure as high as 30 in 100.

The Liverpool researchers estimated the median figure to be around 4 percent, and suggest that as many as one in 25 men worldwide is not the biological father of a child he believes to be his.

Professor Mark Bellis of the research team, says, in view of the fact that as a society we are increasingly making our decisions on the basis of genetics, the implications are cause for concern.

He says that if for example someone knows their family has a history of hereditary heart disease, they might be tempted to alter their own diet, and obviously such decisions should be made on the basis of accurate information.

According to Bellis while mix-ups of semen during artificial insemination accounted for some cases of paternal discrepancy, the majority were due to a woman having sexual relationships outside marriage.

In Britain, it seems that 20 percent of married women or those in long-term relationships, have had affairs, and the figures for other developed countries are similar.

As around a third of pregnancies in Britain are unplanned, the risk of paternal discrepancy is increased.

The scientists are calling for further research in this area, and say this difficult issue cannot be ignored.

The report is published in the British Medical Association's Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

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None of the lifestyle-change participants had conventional prostate cancer treatments such as surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy during the study, but six members of the comparison group underwent conventional treatments because their disease progressed. Patients in the lifestyle-change group also reported marked improvements in quality of life.

According to Carroll, "This study provides important new information for men with prostate cancer and all men who hope to prevent it. This is the first in a series of trials attempting to better identify the exact role of diet and lifestyle in the prevention and treatment of prostate cancer."

"Changes in diet and lifestyle that we found in earlier research could reverse the progression of coronary heart disease may also affect the progression of prostate cancer as well. These findings suggest that men with prostate cancer who undergo conventional treatments may also benefit from making comprehensive lifestyle changes," said Ornish, who is also founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute. "This adds new evidence that changing diet and lifestyle may help to prevent prostate cancer."

The researchers are continuing to follow these patients to determine the effects of their changes in diet and lifestyle on morbidity and mortality.

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