Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 Jun 3:13:272.
doi: 10.1186/1471-2407-13-272.

Influence of a six month endurance exercise program on the immune function of prostate cancer patients undergoing Antiandrogen- or Chemotherapy: design and rationale of the ProImmun study

Philipp Zimmer, Elke Jäger, Wilhelm Bloch, Eva Maria Zopf, Freerk T Baumann
Randomized Controlled Trial

Influence of a six month endurance exercise program on the immune function of prostate cancer patients undergoing Antiandrogen- or Chemotherapy: design and rationale of the ProImmun study

Philipp Zimmer et al. BMC Cancer. .

Abstract

Background: Exercise seems to minimize prostate cancer specific mortality risk and treatment related side effects like fatigue and incontinence. However the influence of physical activity on the immunological level remains uncertain. Even prostate cancer patients undergoing palliative treatment often have a relatively long life span compared to other cancer entities. To optimize exercise programs and their outcomes it is essential to investigate the underlying mechanisms. Further, it is important to discriminate between different exercise protocols and therapy regimes.

Methods/design: The ProImmun study is a prospective multicenter patient preference randomized controlled trial investigating the influence of a 24 week endurance exercise program in 80-100 prostate cancer patients by comparing patients undergoing Antiandrogen therapy combined with exercise (AE), Antiandrogen therapy without exercise (A), Chemotherapy with exercise(CE) or Chemotherapy without exercise (C). The primary outcome of the study is a change in prostate cancer relevant cytokines and hormones (IL-6, MIF, IGF-1, Testosterone). Secondary endpoints are immune cell ratios, oxidative stress and antioxidative capacity levels, VO2 peak, fatigue and quality of life. Patients of the intervention group exercise five times per week, while two sessions are supervised. During the supervised sessions patients (AE and CE) exercise for 33 minutes on a bicycle ergometer at 70-75% of their VO2 peak. To assess long term effects and sustainability of the intervention two follow-up assessments are arranged 12 and 18 month after the intervention.

Discussion: The ProImmun study is the first trial which primarily investigates immunological effects of a six month endurance exercise program in prostate cancer patients during palliative care. Separating patients treated with Antiandrogen therapy from those who are additionally treated with Chemotherapy might allow a more specific view on the influence of endurance training interventions and the impact of different therapy protocols on the immune function.

Trial registration: German Clinical Trials Register: DRKS00004739.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Study design with patient enrolment and measurement time points.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Kenfield SA, Stampfer MJ, Giovannucci E, Chan JM. Physical activity and survival after prostate cancer diagnosis in the health professionals follow-up study. J Clin Oncol. 2011;29(6):726–732. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2010.31.5226. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Overgård M, Angelsen A, Lydersen S, Mørkved S. Does physiotherapist-guided pelvic floor muscle training reduce urinary incontinence after radical prostatectomy? A randomised controlled trial. Eur Urol. 2008;54(2):438–448. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2008.04.021. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Centemero A, Rigatti L, Giraudo D, Lazzeri M, Lughezzani G, Zugna D, Montorsi F, Rigatti P, Guazzoni G. Preoperative pelvic floor muscle exercise for early continence after radical prostatectomy: a randomised controlled study. Eur Urol. 2010;57(6):1039–1043. doi: 10.1016/j.eururo.2010.02.028. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Storer TW, Miciek R, Travison TG. Muscle function, physical performance and body composition changes in men with prostate cancer undergoing androgen deprivation therapy. Asian J Androl. 2012;14(2):204–221. doi: 10.1038/aja.2011.104. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cramp F, Byron-Daniel J. Exercise for the management of cancer-related fatigue in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;14(11):CD006145. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

Substances

Associated data