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The effects of resistance exercise on physical performance and health-related quality of life in prostate cancer patients: a systematic review

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Abstract

Purpose

Physical exercise has been shown to be an effective, safe, and quite inexpensive method to reduce cardiovascular and metabolic risk factors and is currently in the process of establishing its relevance for cancer specific morbidity and mortality. The aim of this systematic review was to focus on specific effects of resistance exercise (RE) in the adjuvant therapy and rehabilitation of prostate cancer patients (PCaPs) receiving or having received androgen deprivation therapy (ADT).

Methods

A systematic literature search focusing on relevant and peer-reviewed studies published between 1966 and September 2014, using PubMed, EMBASE, MEDLINE, SCOPUS, and Cochrane Library databases, was conducted.

Results

The majority of studies demonstrated RE as an effective and safe intervention to improve muscular strength and performance, fatigue and quality of life (QoL) in PCaPs, while there is inconclusive evidence concerning cardiovascular performance, body composition, blood lipids, bone mineral density (BMD), and immune response.

Conclusion

Existing evidence leads to the conclusion that RE seems to be a safe intervention in PCaPs with beneficial effects on physical performance capacity and QoL. Nevertheless, further research in this field is urgently needed to increase understanding of exercise interventions in PCaPs.

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Acknowledgments

This paper was written by an interdisciplinary team at the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Austria.

Conflict of interest

All of the authors are employees of the Medical University of Vienna, Austria, and the preparation of this review took place within the scope of their regular scientific work. No further financial relationships exist. No funding was received for the creation of this article.

Ethical Statement

This review was written complying the international guidelines of good scientific practice. As this is a review article, no primary data is available but all background information concerning the methodology of the creation of this paper is open for journal review if requested.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090, Vienna, Austria

    T. Hasenoehrl, M. Keilani, T. Sedghi Komanadj, M. Mickel & R. Crevenna

  2. Department of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    M. Margreiter

  3. Department of Internal Medicine I/Oncology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    M. Marhold

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  1. T. Hasenoehrl
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  2. M. Keilani
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Correspondence to R. Crevenna.

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Hasenoehrl, T., Keilani, M., Sedghi Komanadj, T. et al. The effects of resistance exercise on physical performance and health-related quality of life in prostate cancer patients: a systematic review. Support Care Cancer 23, 2479–2497 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-2782-x

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