Research Finds Moderate Exercise Helps Lower Side Effects of Prostate Cancer Treatment

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A short-term exercise prescription for patients who have advanced prostate cancer could contribute to the reduction of side-effects of hormone therapy, a new University of East Anglia study indicated.

A short-term exercise prescription for patients who have advanced prostate cancer could contribute to the reduction of side-effects of hormone therapy, a new University of East Anglia study indicated.

In connection to this research, recently-published research specified that experimental Physiology found that in survivors of prostate cancer, a moderate bout of physical activities or exercise kept the cell count of a particular kind of immune cells at a normal level, suggesting, it is safe for prostate cancer survivors to exercise.

The report related to the research stated, 24 hours after a moderately short period of cycling, "the immune cell count of the so-called NK or natural killer cells, a portion of the first line of defense of the body, had gone back to resting levels.

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How Exercise Contributes

Treatments for prostate cancer, which include androgen deprivation therapy or ADT, have several opposing or adverse effects that lessen physical function or quality of life.

Essentially, experts are recommending exercise for cancer survivors to lower side effects. It has also exhibited to have various advantages.

Nevertheless, the impacts of treating prostate cancer and severe exercise on the immune system have just been momentarily evaluated.

Reports also have it that, initially, exercise oncology guidelines were based on the reactions observed in older adults who were considered healthy.

Nevertheless, cancer patients have varying physiological reactions to exercise. Most of these reactions have just started to be understood.

Exercise is a great contributor to the mobilization of the immune system by causing NK cells to move into the blood and be transmitted to portions of need like parts of inflammation or tumors.

The result has been quite sophisticatedly exhibited in animal models. However, the exercise, as well as the immune response in survivors of cancer, is limited with just a little research in prostate cancer.

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Study Volunteers

The scientists at the University of Victoria in Australia involved volunteers which included 11 survivors of cancer presently receiving ADT treatment, and 14 male volunteers who have prostate cancer who were not on ADT, and eight healthy controls, had their cycle task completed to distinguish their "utmost aerobic fitness."

The researchers opted for the use of "moderate-intensity" exercise period. This particular approach was consistent with the present exercise oncology guidelines. However, a similar period would be useful for survivors of prostate cancer to perform independently.

To guarantee that the exercise period used to kindle the immune system was similar to the amount of difficulty for all, they unvaried based on their utmost initiative.  

Research Finding

To identify the immune function, the collected blood samples prior to exercise, instantaneously after two hours, they completed their cycling bout.

Following the said activity, the participants then returned 14 hours after they exercised, and their immune function was re-evaluated after recovering overnight.

Furthermore, the researchers gauged several key hormone levels as well, which included "adrenaline and noradrenaline," as they portrayed a role in the activation and mobilization of the NK immune cells.

Scientists also found that 24 hours following a moderate period of cycling, "The immune cell count of NK cells," portion of the first line of defense of the body, had gone back to resting levels.

Lastly, it was all presented that the "immune cell mobilization with exercise" does not seem to be considerably substituted during treatment of prostate cancer.

This particular treatment offers direct evidence that strenuous exercise falling within present oncology guidelines seems to be advantageous for the immune system.

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