| The third annual Prostate Cancer Symposium | | | | found to have improved aerobic capacity and |
| may not seem a likely place to hear about aerobic | | | | decreased fatigue. In addition the resistance group |
| or resistance exercise. However, there was an | | | | was found to have significantly improved upper |
| interesting report proving the value of resistance | | | | and lower muscle endurance and reduced body |
| and aerobic exercise on those undergoing radiation | | | | fat. |
| therapy for prostate cancer. | | | | The effect of the study showed that there were |
| Normally, you might expect that it would be | | | | no detrimental effects of exercise training on |
| better to rest and preserve your strength to | | | | prostate specific antigen, testosterone, or |
| fight the cancer. But, researchers found that by | | | | hemoglobin compared with the control group. |
| doing either aerobic or resistance exercise | | | | This information was distributed courtesy of he |
| significantly improves both the aerobic capacity | | | | Prostate Cancer Symposium, A Multidisciplinary |
| and decreases fatigue. Fatigue is one of the | | | | Approach is co-sponsored by the American |
| major negative results of radiation therapy. | | | | Society of Clinical Ontology, the American Society |
| Roanne Segal, M.D., of the University of Ottawa in | | | | for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, and the |
| Ontario and the Ottawa Regional Cancer Center | | | | Society of Urologic Oncology. |
| and her team divided 121 men receiving radiation | | | | Presentation title: Resistance or Aerobic Exercise |
| therapy for prostate cancer into three groups. | | | | in Men Receiving Radiation Therapy for Prostate |
| One group was the control. There was no change | | | | Cancer: a Randomized Trial. Abstract 113 |
| in their schedule. One group was given an aerobic | | | | There have also been findings suggestive that |
| exercise program and the third group was given a | | | | aerobic exercise can prevent prostate cancer. |
| resistance exercise program. The study lasted | | | | Interest in physical activity as a means for |
| twenty six weeks. | | | | primary prevention of cancer is increasing as the |
| Her research team enrolled the 121 men in the 26 | | | | evidence for a protective effect is rapidly |
| week study to determine whether exercise could | | | | accumulating. One recent study reported that |
| improve overall quality of life. The men's mean | | | | when participants exercised aerobically for ~60 |
| age was 66. The men were receiving active | | | | minutes a day for 11 days, IGF-1 was reduced by |
| radiation doses totaling 66 to 76 Gray. | | | | 20% and serum insulin decreased by 25%. |
| During the study, there were five negative | | | | However, to date all the studies that have |
| events. One man in the aerobic exercise group | | | | examined the effect of physical activity as a |
| had a heart attack during exercise. Another had a | | | | primary means of reducing prostate cancer have |
| fainting spell. In the resistance exercise group, one | | | | been conducted in Caucasians. Therefore, the |
| man had chest pain, one had a urinary obstruction | | | | purpose of this proposal is to determine if 11 days |
| and another had nerve root compression. These | | | | of aerobic exercise will have a positive effect on |
| incidents do not detract from the positive effects | | | | serum factors that are known to increase the |
| of the exercise. Furthermore, there is no way to | | | | risk of developing prostate cancer in African |
| directly connect the incidents to the exercise. | | | | American men. |
| The aerobic and resistance exercise groups were | | | | |