Lifestyle interventions ward off mobility disability in prostate cancer patients on ADT

An exercise and dietary lifestyle intervention regimen leads to better mobility outcomes among prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) as compared with standard-of-care management, a recent study has found. Moreover, social cognitive outcome measures seem to be predictive of such mobility outcomes.

The study included 32 prostate cancer patients (mean age 66.2 years), of whom 16 received a 3-month lifestyle intervention program while 16 received standard-of-care. The intervention program involved exercise and dietary supervision along with group-mediated cognitive behavioural counselling.

Mobility and social cognitive outcomes were measured using the lift-and-carry performance test and the mobility-related self-efficacy (MRSE) and satisfaction with function (SWF) scales, respectively.

Analysis of covariance showed a significant treatment effect for lift-and-carry performance at the 2- and 3-month follow-up relative to standard-of-care (p<0.01 for both). On the other hand, while there was no such treatment impact on MRSE, effect sizes nevertheless revealed more favourable outcomes in those who received the active intervention.

Moreover, partial correlation analysis revealed that higher task-specific MRSE and better SWF (p=0.001 for both) resulted in significantly better lift-and-carry performance at 3 months.

“These findings illustrate the potential value of integrating lifestyle interventions in the supportive care of prostate cancer patients on ADT and suggest social cognitive constructs may have an important role in contributing to the benefits of these interventions for attenuating risk of mobility disability accompanying androgen suppression,” the researchers said.