A growing body of research is challenging long-held assumptions about managing advanced prostate cancer, especially the advice often given to patients to take it easy and avoid strenuous activity. Professor Nick James, a leading prostate cancer expert at The Institute of Cancer Research in London and consultant clinical oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, emphasises that such well-meaning counsel is frequently misplaced. According to him, “the opposite is true” for most patients, with exercise playing a crucial role in improving outcomes and quality of life.

The benefits of physical activity for prostate cancer patients are widely supported by clinical research and expert organisations. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center highlights that exercise, incorporating both resistance training and aerobic workouts, effectively counters the common side effects of prostate cancer treatments—particularly fatigue and muscle loss. Their findings stress that remaining sedentary often poses more risks than engaging in appropriately tailored physical activity, with resistance training notably helpful in maintaining muscle mass and strength.

Further research from Northumbria University reinforces this perspective. Their study found that a structured, three-month programme combining aerobic and resistance training prevented common declines in cardiopulmonary fitness and reduced fatigue among prostate cancer patients undergoing hormone therapy. Published in the British Journal of Urology International, these findings suggest that regular exercise could significantly enhance the wellbeing and long-term health of cancer survivors by mitigating treatment-related side effects.

Meta-analyses and systematic reviews strengthen the case for exercise’s positive impact on prostate cancer management. One review published on PubMed observed a small but meaningful improvement in cancer-specific quality of life and noted a moderate to large enhancement in cardiovascular fitness, particularly through aerobic exercises. It concluded that exercise is effective in improving metabolic health in men with prostate cancer, helping to counteract the negative effects of both the disease and its treatments.

Longer-term research indicates that physical activity may even influence cancer progression and survival. Another review of cancer patients, including those with prostate cancer, points to exercise's role in reducing general cancer-related symptoms, improving cardiovascular risk factors, and potentially extending cancer-free and overall survival rates. These findings are encouraging further investigation into the role of regular exercise as part of comprehensive cancer care.

More direct evidence of exercise influencing prostate cancer biology comes from a pioneering clinical trial at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The trial demonstrated that engaging in 225 minutes per week of moderate endurance exercise before surgery improved key biomarkers associated with better prognosis in men with early-stage prostate cancer. This study marks an important step forward in understanding how physical activity may help control cancer progression at a molecular level.

The Prostate Cancer Foundation provides a biological explanation for these beneficial effects, noting that exercise might not act directly on the cancer cells themselves but changes the body's internal environment. Physical activity reduces insulin and insulin-like growth factor levels, which are involved in cellular growth and division. Lowering these factors can create conditions less favourable for cancer progression, potentially slowing the disease's development.

Together, this collective evidence strongly supports integrating exercise into prostate cancer management protocols. Contrary to outdated advice advocating rest, clinicians are increasingly recognising that appropriately prescribed physical activity is a powerful tool to improve patients’ physical health, alleviate treatment side effects, and possibly influence the disease trajectory itself. This paradigm shift could have profound implications for how prostate cancer survivors approach their recovery and ongoing care.

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Source: Noah Wire Services