A joint BC Cancer Agency and University of British Columbia research study will investigate whether weight training can improve muscle strength and muscle mass in men with prostate cancer being treated with hormone therapy.

Men undergoing hormone therapy describe a loss in both muscle strength and muscle mass, which can be attributed to a decline in the male sex hormone, testosterone. Hormone therapy drugs work by blocking the production of testosterone, a hormone that can stimulate the growth of cancerous tumours. In B.C., it is estimated more than 4,200 men are currently receiving hormone therapy. Approximately, 2,900 B.C. men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer this year.

"Hormone therapy can often accelerate the physical changes you would normally expect to see in men in their 50's, 60's and 70's" says Cheri Van Patten, BC Cancer Agency nutritionist and co-investigator of the study. "And for many men, self-image and quality of life are directly tied to their physical health and strength."

Researchers hope to recruit 60 men in the Lower Mainland to take part in the National Cancer Institute of Canada/Health Canada funded study. The men will be randomized into one of two groups: one group will participate in a weight training program for 12 weeks; the second group which will act as a control or comparison group. The study is limited to men with prostate cancer over the age of 50 who are not physically active, and who have begun hormone therapy. Researchers will measure muscle strength and body composition before the start of hormone therapy and the exercise program and again at the end of the study. Personal trainers will be assigned to supervise men in the exercise group, who will participate in 90 minutes of weight training three times a week.

It is the first known study to physically measure changes in muscle and bone mass in men undergoing hormone therapy. "Right now, we only have anecdotal evidence from men that they feel weaker," says Van Patten. "We want to find out how much muscle strength and mass men lose as a result of taking the hormone therapy, and to what extent they will benefit from exercise."

Co-investigator, Bill Sheel, a sports medicine specialist at the University of British Columbia says while it may seem like common sense that exercise would help men gain muscle strength and mass, Sheel says researchers don't know that for certain. "We believe some of the agents used in hormone therapy stop the production, or proper functioning of male sex hormones which lead to changes in muscle mass and strength, but we hope to demonstrate that resistance exercise, in spite of hormone therapy, will result in improvements in muscle function."

"What we learn could help improve the quality of life for men undergoing hormone treatment," says Sheel. "We know that exercise for the general population improves lipid profiles, reduces body fat, increases lean muscle mass and helps relieve depression and anxiety. But if we could tell men on hormonal therapy that they don't have to live with losing muscle and strength if they regularly participate in regular weight-lifting exercise, that would directly impact their sense of well-being and independence."

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For more information, please contact:
Papinder Rehncy
BC Cancer Agency Public Relations
(604) 877-6000, local 2378
Email: prehncy@bccancer.bc.ca