Prostate cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the world Prostate cancer can severely impact quality of life due to side-effects of treatment.One such side-effect commonly reported by patients is sexual dysfunction.
A long-term clinical trial led by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology Breakthrough Meeting in Japan, has revealed there is a therapy which may help combat this aspect of battling the disease: Exercise.
ECU Exercise Medicine Research Institute (EMRI) Director and study lead Professor Daniel Galvao said nearly half of patients with prostate cancer report having unmet sexual health care needs. Sexual dysfunction is a common, distressing, and persistent side effect of prostate cancer treatment, with both physical and psychological effects.
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It comes after previous EMRI studies found exercise can help produce cancer-fighting proteins called myokines, which act to suppress tumor growth even in late-stage, terminal prostate cancer patients.
Spanning four years, the study split more than 100 prostate cancer patients into three groups.
One group undertook supervised resistance and aerobic exercise, while another did the same exercise program but also underwent psychosexual therapy. The third group received standard treatment without any exercise or therapy component.
The psychosexual therapy resulted in no improvements in erectile function or intercourse satisfaction – however the exercising patients reported a big improvement in both.
Those who exercised saw erectile function increase by 5.1 points, compared to 1.0 point for the usual care group, while intercourse satisfaction increased by 2.2 points with exercise and 0.2 points with usual care.
Exercise also prevented an increase in fat mass and improved physical function outcomes, as well as upper and lower body muscle strength compared to usual care.
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