ASCO PROSTATE: Exercise Improves Prostate Cancer Patients' Quality of Life

KISSIMMEE, Fla. Feb. 23 -- Aerobic or resistance exercise improved quality-of-life measures among men undergoing radiation treatment for prostate cancer, researchers here reported.

Men randomized to either aerobic or resistance exercise training for 26 weeks had less fatigue, improved endurance and improved muscle tone, said Roanne Segal, M.D., of the University of Ottawa in Ontario and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center at a prostate cancer symposium.

Dr. Segal said that among those in the 121-patient study assigned to resistance exercise intervention, there were significantly improved fatigue scores (P

While most patients had positive responses, there were five documented adverse events, Dr. Segal said.

In the aerobic exercise group, one patient had an acute myocardial infarction post sub-maximal effort while another had a syncope episode.

In the resistance exercise group three patients had adverse events -- chest pain, a urinary obstruction, and nerve root compression.

"There were no detrimental effects of exercise training on prostate specific antigen, testosterone, or hemoglobin compared with the control group," she said.