Previous research had already confirmed the benefits of physical exercise on the quality of life of people with cancer, but now, a new study carried out by scientists at the Research Center of the University of Montreal Hospital (Canada) aims to show that it can prevent disease.
Scientists assume that exercise has a direct effect on prostate cancer in particular, a benefit as effective as drugs, being able to reduce mortality by at least 22% in patients with cancer metastasis or increase their life expectancy up to in six months. For their study, they have the participation of 900 men with advanced-stage prostate cancer from 60 hospitals around the world.
“ We are going to study exercise as if it were a drug added to standard treatments. The patients will continue with their therapies and will continue taking their medications, but half of them will receive psychosocial support, with general recommendations on physical exercise. And the other half will also follow a high intensity exercise program ”, says Fred Saad, leader of the study.
Analysis of blood samples and muscle biopsies of the participants will reveal the results of the different physical exercise therapies according to the various study groups into which the 900 volunteers with prostate cancer will be divided.
The conclusions of the study will be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago (USA).
