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Changes in physical functioning and muscle strength in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: a controlled comparison

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine changes in muscle strength and self-reported physical functioning in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer compared to matched controls.

Methods

Prostate cancer patients scheduled to begin ADT (n = 62) were assessed within 20 days of starting ADT and 6 and 12 months later. Age and geographically matched prostate cancer controls treated with prostatectomy only (n = 86) were assessed at similar time intervals. Grip strength measured upper body strength, the Chair Rise Test measured lower body strength, and the SF-12 Physical Functioning scale measured self-reported physical functioning.

Results

As expected, self-reported physical functioning and upper body muscle strength declined in ADT recipients but remained stable in prostate cancer controls. Contrary to expectations, lower body muscle strength remained stable in ADT recipients but improved in prostate cancer controls. Higher Gleason scores, more medical comorbidities, and less exercise at baseline predicted greater declines in physical functioning in ADT recipients.

Conclusions

ADT is associated with declines in self-reported physical functioning and upper body muscle strength as well as worse lower body muscle strength relative to prostate cancer controls. These findings should be included in patient education regarding the risks and benefits of ADT. Findings also underscore the importance of conducting research on ways to prevent or reverse declines in physical functioning in this patient population.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the National Cancer Institute: R01CA132803 (PI: Jacobsen) and R25CA090314 (PI: Jacobsen). The authors wish to acknowledge the Biostatistics Core at the Moffitt Cancer Center (P30-CA076292; PI: Sellers).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA

    Brian D. Gonzalez

  2. Health Outcomes and Behavior Program, Moffitt Cancer Center, 12902 Magnolia Drive MRC-ADMIN, Tampa, FL, 33612, USA

    Heather S. L. Jim & Paul B. Jacobsen

  3. School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Brent J. Small

  4. Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Steven K. Sutton

  5. Department of Genitourinary Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Mayer N. Fishman

  6. Department of Radiation Oncology, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, Tampa, FL, USA

    Babu Zachariah

  7. Department of Radiation Oncology, Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL, USA

    Randy V. Heysek

Authors
  1. Brian D. Gonzalez
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  2. Heather S. L. Jim
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  3. Brent J. Small
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  4. Steven K. Sutton
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  5. Mayer N. Fishman
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  6. Babu Zachariah
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  8. Paul B. Jacobsen
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Paul B. Jacobsen.

Ethics declarations

The corresponding author is in full control of all primary data and agrees to allow the journal to review the data if requested. The data presented in this manuscript were collected through a protocol approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of South Florida (Protocol #IRB 106381). All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. This article does not contain any studies with animals performed by any of the authors. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Conflicts of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

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Gonzalez, B.D., Jim, H.S.L., Small, B.J. et al. Changes in physical functioning and muscle strength in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: a controlled comparison. Support Care Cancer 24, 2201–2207 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-3016-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-015-3016-y

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