1) To assess whether exercise training attenuates the adverse effects of treatment in newly diagnosed prostate cancer patients beginning androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), and 2) to examine whether exercise-induced improvements are sustained after the withdrawal of supervised exercise.
Fifty prostate cancer patients scheduled for ADT were randomised to an exercise group (n = 24) or a control group (n = 26). The exercise group completed 3-months of supervised aerobic and resistance exercise training (2x/week for 60 min), followed by 3-months of self-directed exercise. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 3-months, and 6-months. The primary outcome was difference in fat mass at 3-months. Secondary outcomes included fat-free mass, cardiopulmonary exercise testing variables, QRISK2 score, anthropometry, blood-borne biomarkers, fatigue, and quality of life (QoL).
At 3-months, exercise training prevented adverse changes in peak oxygen uptake (1.9 ml.kg-1 .min-1 , p = 0.038), ventilatory threshold (1.7 ml.kg-1 .min-1 , p = 0.013), oxygen uptake efficiency slope (0.21, p = 0.005) and fatigue (4.5, p = 0.024) compared with controls. After the supervised exercise was withdrawn, the differences in cardiopulmonary fitness and fatigue were not sustained, but the exercise group showed significantly higher QoL (8.5, p = 0.034) and a reduced QRISK2 score (-2.9%, p = 0.041) compared to controls.
A short-term programme of supervised exercise for prostate cancer patients beginning ADT results in sustained improvements in QoL and cardiovascular event risk profile.
BJU international. 2019 Oct 12 [Epub ahead of print]
W Ndjavera, S T Orange, A F O'Doherty, A S Leicht, M Rochester, R Mills, J M Saxton
Department of Urology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney Lane, Norwich, NR4 7UY, UK., Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University, Room NB259 Northumberland Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK., Sport and Exercise Science, College of Healthcare Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.