Any guys part of this study: INTense Exercise foR surVivAL Among Men With Metastatic Castrate-Resistant Prostate Cancer?

[StephanB]

I have been worried and also complaining to my MD about my body changing with ADT and corticosteroids. I gained weight, despite basically always remaining the same all my adult life. I was diagnosed with metastatic prostate cancer at 46, and a couple years later and lots of failing therapies, the one thing that makes me feel empowered is my physical activities through biking, power yoga, as well other means. My MD who I do like, is very conservative, and he makes me feel like a porcelaine doll. I do have bone mets, but I can sense that he worries about my biking, yoga, gym etc. It's very discouraging to me because I'm fighting punk cells and punk therapies that clearly is changing my body. I came across this "INTERVAL" study but know little about it. Please let me know if anyone has knowledge of it, and early results, or if you are part of it, and how you it impacts you positively or negatively.

[noirhole]

I say. Living life is dangerous. Do what makes you happy. Fighting this disease is as much in the head as everywhere else. My Doc is always surprised at what I have been doing at each visit!

[StephanB in reply to noirhole]

Thanks. I agree. My doc is also very impressed at my state of mind and my physical inclinations, considering the extent of my bone mets, and pain. There are times I really feel, apart from the mental benefits, that physical activities help my pain, but he still is worried of fractures i guess and also the pull of muscle/tendon on the bones. When I bumped into this study which are for metastatic cancer, it really increased my curiosity on the effect of exercise on health and cancer itself.

[Lombardi24 in reply to StephanB]

Not sure if you mentioned it or not... Has your doc or are you being given Zometa (used to treat osteoporosis) to fortify bone density)m

[Dr_WHO in reply to noirhole]

My whole cancer team, Urologist, Radiologist, Medical Oncologist, and most important, my wife all have told me to work out smart (not hard) every day. What that means for me is I lift about a quarter of the weights I did two years ago, I ride my bike only about a third of what I use to do. I walk with my dogs for about 2 1/2 to three miles a day. It also means that there are a number of exercises that I no longer do. I stay away from anything that puts undo stress on my joints, bones (I do not have bone mets, just in the pelvic area) or ligaments.

Unfortunately for me it is easy to tell when I overdid it. But that’s OK. It gives me an official reason to take it easy.

It is like golf, you play against yourself. I do not judge myself against a man with Stage 4 that runs full marathons and triathlons, That does not mean I do not take inspiration from them. I just go at my own pace.

Please remember everyone here is unique. Everyone is fighting their own battle. If all you can do is get out of the bed, then that is awesome.

[miki23 in reply to Dr_WHO]

well put

thx for taking the time

[ronton2 in reply to noirhole]

Noir, So right re: the mind is not divorced from this matter. Keep the physical going. You need it! Just bike safely!

[Hidden]

I'm also stage 4 with a few bone mets. I run 4-6 miles, four times per week and lift as heavy as I can the other 3. On the days I lift I also walk 2 miles. Sorry,no I'm not part of the study that you are referring to but I believe that vigorous daily workouts help me greatly. When I went through chemo my oncologist was shocked that I continued to run in temperatures that exceeded 80. Whats the worst that can happen?

[rococo in reply to Hidden]

Fantastic, you are an inspiration but I always felt the body rest a day between intense work outs and a week off every so ofen to heal microinjuries. Rocco

[Hidden in reply to rococo]

You are 101% correct regarding rest. However the fool I can be, I take a break when I break something.

[gusgold]

you are right about exercise..."exercise can be as effective as a new drug"

Gus

oncologynurseadvisor.com/pr...

[StephanB in reply to gusgold]

Thank you for the link. The piece talks precisely about the "INTERVAL" study. I definitely like to read what I'm, somewhat "fighting over" with my doc. I'm glad it's looking promising. I understand I can't do kickboxing anymore, but this is giving me hope that exercise still seems important with people with diagnostic like mine/ours

[dockam]

Hello, please provide a link to that study. My MedOnc initially said that I should cut back on my running, but I had already signed up of Surf City Marathon a month after my diagnosis (Stage IV, GL7, PSA@ 840 - now at 0.1) in 01/2015. That was the start of my new mission to wear a sign on my back at my marathons to get men screened. I have NYC marathon for ZERO - The End of Prostate Cancer on 11/05 and I raised over $3K for them. This will be #19 post diagnosis.

My story from Athlinks: blog.athlinks.com/2017/05/1...

Best to you guys - Randy

[StephanB in reply to dockam]

Gusgold provided this article link: oncologynurseadvisor.com/pr...

I bumped into the study here: clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show...

[Captain_Dave]

I like following this information. My doc wants me to workout. Cardio and strength training. After a long day at work, I am often tired and unmotivated. My little dog begs to get out and go for a run, so that gets me out for some exercise. I have a treadmill that I do use for fast walking. And my doc recommended the resistance bands. Last evening I got them out and did a short workout. It's the bands (and push ups) that I have to make a habit. These articles are helping!

Thanks!

Dave

[spm58]

Hey Stephan I think what your doing is great for body and mind! I’m newly diagnosed with aggressive pc . I’m on casodex and suppose to have radiation but postponed because I still am incontinent. I don’t exercise ex weights run etc but I want to. I work in my field almost every day cutting brush trees etc but I leak constantly and occasionally have bleeding though minor so do you have any of these issues during workouts? I’m told I’m doing to much but I’m frustrated with bleeding and leakage and feel like they want me to sit around.

[StephanB in reply to spm58]

I think there are choices we have to make at times that might go against certain philosophies, but for me remaining active empowers me and bring me serenity. Now it looks that exercise might even help in reducing progression. There's also the 'we have this one life to live' so might as well push for things that brings us happiness, pleasure and well-being. I personally don't have major issues and I push through the pain while exercising while remaining comfortable of course. I recently started Radium-223 which first 10-days were vomit festival, and then feeling weak from lack of food intake. That was definitely limiting. I, also, since chemo cabazitaxel been having a declining hemoglobin which also makes it hard to push because I become winded so fast. So there are challenges but I do what I can to keep the best quality of life I can have. And quality of life is really what is important to me at this point with the state of my disease.

So for me, it's hard not to suggest to keep pushing to remain active, and cutting brush trees is certainly in that spirit. There might be a healthcare professional that could work with you around that. I requested a physical therapist through my doc so we could plan what I could do. It was helpful. Is your bleeding really minor? Leakage must certainly be unpleasant but there are other brothers in this community, like Dr_WHO to think of one, who are very inspiring in keeping a good level of multiple activities despite having to wear diapers, for example. I would definitely read him and chat with him if you'd like. We have to be our own health advocates many times, despite medical personnel and sometimes family worries and conservative stance. I wish you the best. Let me know if you've taken any new exercise and how it goes.

[spm58 in reply to StephanB]

Thankyou for encouragement! I am not on your level of exercise but I try to keep positive and active as possible. I do have my occasional pity party lol due to frustration.thats why I like this site as a boost. Thankyou

[StephanB in reply to spm58]

That's what this community is here for. Pity parties are ok at times. We haven't been dealt the best hand, but as I know from my ability to be dark at times, all it does is mostly hurt ourselves and not help our body and mind to help in the fight of these punk cells and the burden of this awful disease.

Come and say hi if it gets too dark

[spm58 in reply to StephanB]

I appreciate that. Nothing serious that last more than a hour then I shake it off. Your right doesn’t help anyone and just slows me done!

[rkengen in reply to StephanB]

Hi Stephan

How do you cope with anxiety and the nervousness, i feel totally stressed being not only a man with apc but with so much anxiety

Thx ron

[Break60 in reply to StephanB]

Doing something helps keep ur mind off this shit. Hard workouts help alleviate joint pain, muscle loss and fatigue. It might sound counterintuitive but it’s a fact. Your body wasn’t meant for HT and it wasn’t meant for inactivity.

Bob

[Hidden]

No, shit!?! A porcelain doll. FFS I would crack him one, just to let him know you're still a guy.

I got the beast at 50, and now 58, and I feel like a slug under a rock. You see, when I was Dx'd, I was just fine. It was a shock to find I had it, let's say. About four years in, I got so weak, I had to quit work. It did coincide with a recurrence, and so I got on SS Disability. For almost three years, my health took a nose dive, as I became weaker and weaker. I was in severe pain which grew from just an ache, and my Uro "agreed" with me that it was from the cancer. Last year, I wound up in the ER, with a blocked bladder. Three years- fucking three fucking years. Now that I'm fixed, I can't muster the gumption to do anything. So...

Keep doing what you're doing. Don't get too fat. You aren't going to break doing power yoga, unless you're doing it as a stuntman in a movie. It could be verydangerous then. lol

Joe

[StephanB in reply to Hidden]

Haha. No more twisting pretzel position for me but yoga does still make use of all my muscle and flexibility and it's pretty zen, helping all the shit that comes my way. I hear you with progression. I also barely 2 years ago before dx was living and exercising like a 30 y.o. despite being 46. I was feeling really good and was in good shape, and if it wasn't for blood in urine I wouldn't have found out before later. But the last 2 years with ADT, Taxotere, abiraterone, cabazitaxel and now radium-223, I can tell you I decline very fast in physical strength.Yes there is the cancer, but the treatments are no freakin' picnic. For one no testosterone doesn't help on so many level, then chemo for me was hard on hemoglobin so got tired easily. I also quit working and then moved closer to family. This journey is not an easy one as we read from each one of us, but I try my best to be in the best physical and mental shape I can be. It's all about quality of life for me right now. Without that, well...scary movie material

[j-o-h-n in reply to StephanB]

Hello this message is to let you know that YostConner is trying to get in touch with you.

So log onto the Healthunlocked wegsite and message him. He thanks you!!!

Good Luck and Good Health.

j-o-h-n Monday 03/26/2018 7:46 PM EDT <=====<<< NOTICE THE DATE

[smroush]

I don't know anything about the INTERVAL study but I hear you about the empowering effects of exercise. Like you, I am a long time bicycle rider. When I was diagnosed in July 2012 I was told to stop riding because I had a kidney stent inserted due to a PCa tumor in my bladder. The kidney stent was in for over 8 months, but after a few months I started riding my bike again anyway - not much, but enough to at least feel like a bit of a victory. After 8 months and a week the kidney stent was removed (thanks to radiation therapy and ADT) and I increased my bike riding. Last year I rode 2736 miles and am a bit ahead of that pace this year. I will turn 68 in December. I also work out a little with some dumbbells and do some core and back exercises 4 or 5 days a week.

I don't know if the exercise is responsible or not, but I have done much better than I expected at the time of diagnosis. My cancer was graded as a Gleason 9 with metastases to the bladder and pelvic lymph nodes. I was on the ADT (Lupron and Casodex) for about 26 months. Right now I have been off all meds for about 3 years. While on them, and after completing the radiation therapy, my PSA was undetectable. In the three years off ADT it has risen but only to 0.2 and it has been at that level for 5 measurements now (measured at 3 month intervals - next PSA test is on Friday).

My doctor was clearly a little skeptical and discouraging when I rode a little with the kidney stent in, but I took it easy and it worked out ok and I felt great about doing it.

Anyway best of luck to you - I am a firm believer in pushing the envelope in terms of activities despite cancer, but we do have to be smart about it.

[pakb]

Thanks for asking this and posting the info- I've been looking into this too and found this helpful! Seems most points to working out being helpful.

[j-o-h-n in reply to pakb]

Sorry this message was intended for STEPHANB <------------------NOTE

Hello this message is to let you know that YostConner is trying to get in touch with you.

So log onto the Healthunlocked wegsite and message him. He thanks you!!!

Good Luck and Good Health.

j-o-h-n Monday 03/26/2018 7:46 PM EDT <=====<<< NOTICE THE DATE

[j-o-h-n]

Hello this message is to let you know that YostConner is trying to get in touch with you.

So log onto the Healthunlocked wegsite and message him. He thanks you!!!

Good Luck and Good Health.

j-o-h-n Monday 03/26/2018 7:46 PM EDT <=====<<< NOTICE THE DATE