The effect of aerobic exercise on treatment-related acute toxicity in men receiving radical external beam radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer We retrospectively analysed acute radiation toxicity data for patients who had participated in a randomised controlled study in our centre in order to assess the impact of aerobic exercise on acute rectal and bladder morbidity during treatment. Data from 65 of 66 patients were analysed: 33 allocated into a control group (standard advice) and 33 into an exercise group (aerobic walking for 30 min at least three times per week) during 4 weeks of external beam radiotherapy; one patient in the exercise group withdrew after randomisation before starting radiotherapy. There was a trend towards less severe acute rectal toxicity in the exercise group with a statistically significant difference in mean toxicity scores over the 4 weeks of radiotherapy (P = 0.004), with no significant difference in bladder toxicity scores between the two groups (P = 0.123). The lack of an association for severity of bladder toxicity could be attributed to the confounding effect of lower urinary tract symptoms from their prostate cancer. Keeping active and being asked to adhere to a well-defined exercise schedule appears to reduce the severity of rectal toxicity during radiotherapy to the prostate.
OBJECTIVE: To show fatigue prevention and quality of life (QOL) improvement from cardiovascular exercise during radiotherapy.
DESIGN: Prospective enrollment (n=21), randomized to exercise (n=11) and control groups (n=10), with pre- and post-radiotherapy between- and within-group comparisons.
SETTING: Academic medical center.
PARTICIPANTS: Localized prostate cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy.
INTERVENTIONS: The interventional group received radiotherapy plus aerobic exercise 3 times a week for 8 weeks whereas the control group received radiotherapy without exercise.
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pre- and post-radiotherapy differences in cardiac fitness, fatigue, depression, functional status, physical, social, and functional well-being, leg strength, and flexibility were examined within and between 2 groups.
RESULTS: No significant differences existed between 2 groups at pre-radiotherapy assessment. At post-radiotherapy assessment, the exercise group showed significant within group improvements in: cardiac fitness (P<.001), fatigue (P=.02), Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Prostate (FACT-P) (P=.04), physical well-being (P=.002), social well-being (P=.02), flexibility (P=.006), and leg strength (P=.000). Within the control group, there was a significant increase in fatigue score (P=.004) and a decline in social well-being (P<.05) at post-radiotherapy assessment. Between-group differences at post-radiotherapy assessment were significant in cardiac fitness (P=.006), strength (P=.000), flexibility (P<.01), fatigue (P<.001), FACT-P (P=.006), physical well-being (P<.001), social well-being (P=.002), and functional well-being (P=.04).
CONCLUSIONS: An 8-week cardiovascular exercise program in patients with localized prostate cancer undergoing radiotherapy improved cardiovascular fitness, flexibility, muscle strength, and overall QOL and prevented fatigue.
PURPOSE: Urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy is a significant clinical problem. In this prospective study we investigate the effectiveness of early pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) on a large population, that had undergone radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) at our department.
METHODS: 300 consecutive patients who had undergone RRP for clinically confined prostate cancer were randomized in two groups after catheter removal. One group of 150 patients took part in a structured PFMT program. This began before discharge and consisted of Kegel exercises. The remaining 150 patients constituted the control group, they were not formally instructed in PFMT. Incontinence was assessed objectively using the 1 hour and 24 hour pad test, as well as with the ICS-Male questionnaire. All patients who were incontinent after 6 months underwent urodynamic evaluation.
RESULTS: In the treated group, 19% (29 patients) achieved continence after 1 month, and 94.6% (146 patients) after 6 months. In the control group 8% (12 patients) achieved continence after 1 month, and 65% (97 patients) after 6 months (p<0.001). Patient age did not correlate with continence in the control group (p>0.05), although a significant correlation was revealed within the treated group (p<0.01). Overall, 93.3% of the total population achieved continence after one year.
CONCLUSIONS: After RRP an early supportive rehabilitation program like PFMT significantly reduces continence recovery time.
OBJECTIVES: To perform a randomized comparative study to investigate the clinical effects of extracorporeal magnetic innervation (ExMI) and functional electrical stimulation (FES) on urinary incontinence after retropubic radical prostatectomy.
METHODS: Thirty-six patients with urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy were randomly assigned to three groups (12 patients each in the FES, ExMI, and control groups). For FES, an anal electrode was used. Pulses of 20-Hz square waves at a 300-micros pulse duration were used for 15 minutes twice daily for 1 month. For ExMI, the Neocontrol system was used. The treatment sessions were for 20 minutes, twice a week for 2 months. The frequency of the pulse field was 10 Hz for 10 minutes, followed by a second treatment at 50 Hz for 10 minutes. For the control group, only pelvic floor muscle exercises were performed. Objective measures included bladder diaries, 24-hour pad weight testing, and a quality-of-life survey, at 1, 2, and 4 weeks and 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 months after removing the catheter.
RESULTS: The leakage weight during the 24 hours after removing the catheter was 684, 698, and 664 g for the FES, ExMI, and control groups, respectively. At 1 month, it was 72, 83, and 175 g (FES versus control, P <0.05) and at 2 months was 54, 18, and 92 g (ExMI versus control, P <0.05) in the FES, ExMI, and control groups, respectively. Finally, 6 months later, the average 24-hour leakage weight was less than 10 g in all groups. Quality-of-life measures decreased after surgery, but gradually improved over time in all groups. No complications were noted in any of the groups.
CONCLUSIONS: ExMI and FES therapies offered earlier continence compared with the control group after radical prostatectomy. We consider ExMI and FES to be recommendable options for patients who want quick improvement of postoperative urinary incontinence.
BACKGROUND: Advice to rest and take things easy if patients become fatigued during radiotherapy may be detrimental. Aerobic walking improves physical functioning and has been an intervention for chemotherapy-related fatigue. A prospective, randomized, controlled trial was performed to determine whether aerobic exercise would reduce the incidence of fatigue and prevent deterioration in physical functioning during radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma.
METHODS: Sixty-six men were randomized before they received radical radiotherapy for localized prostate carcinoma, with 33 men randomized to an exercise group and 33 men randomized to a control group. Outcome measures were fatigue and distance walked in a modified shuttle test before and after radiotherapy.
RESULTS: There were no significant between group differences noted with regard to fatigue scores at baseline (P = 0.55) or after 4 weeks of radiotherapy (P = 0.18). Men in the control group had significant increases in fatigue scores from baseline to the end of radiotherapy (P = 0.013), with no significant increases observed in the exercise group (P = 0.203). A nonsignificant reduction (2.4%) in shuttle test distance at the end of radiotherapy was observed in the control group; however, in the exercise group, there was a significant increase (13.2%) in distance walked (P = 0.0003).
CONCLUSIONS: Men who followed advice to rest and take things easy if they became fatigued demonstrated a slight deterioration in physical functioning and a significant increase in fatigue at the end of radiotherapy. Home-based, moderate-intensity walking produced a significant improvement in physical functioning with no significant increase in fatigue. Improved physical functioning may be necessary to combat radiation fatigue.
