Exercise is the best medicine?

[Burnett1948]

Burnett1948. I have been told by my Radiation Oncologist that the best way to keep my PSA down is to exercise to the point of exhaustion. My PSA had just rose from 2 to 2.5 during the last 6 months. I have recurring PCa. My doubling is still 18 months. She told me exercise would be better than me taking Turmeric, Pomegranate, Green Tea and Broccoli daily. My reason for posting this question is to find out what exercise others are doing?.

[AlanMeyer Moderator]

Hello Burnett,

I don't think good diet and exercise are mutually exclusive. Do them both!

I don't know how old you are, whether you're taking any hormone therapy, or what kind of shape you're in. If you haven't done much exercise lately, I suggest you start out easy and work up to harder and harder exercise. Do keep at it and get yourself in shape. It will help in other ways besides with the cancer.

I'm not an exercise expert but I do workout for over an hour, about five or more days a week. I've learned that at my age (I'm now 71) it's possible to overdo it. I think that my heart, joints, and muscles aren't up to what I could do when I was 20 years old.

Here are some things I recommend:

Stretching - done slowly and carefully.

Cardio - I mostly use a stationary bike alternating with an elliptical trainer. I especially like them because I can read a book while I'm working out. My wife likes to watch TV when she does it. If you don't have the equipment and don't want it, walking and jogging are good too, though I find jogging a little tougher on the joints than the machines. Raise the time and the tension on the machines gradually. Do get stronger. Don't hurt yourself.

Strength exercises - I do pushups and situps, walk up and down stairs, and lift light weights. My brother-in-law, an orthopedist and sports doctor - and who looks like he's all muscle and no fat, told me that he now (age 69) only uses light weights. I used to use 20 pound dumbells, but now I use dumbells around 10 pounds each and do a bunch of different exercises with them to keep all the upper body muscles in shape.

As for exercising to exhaustion, I think you should postpone thinking about that for a few months and see how well you can do with moderate exercise. You might like it enough and feel good enough to push yourself harder. But even if you don't push harder, I'm sure you'll benefit.

I don't believe that diet and exercise alone will stop your PSA progression, but it might help slow it - which is all to the good. If you can get an extra 6 or 12 months without going on ADT, that's all to the good.

Speaking of ADT, I'd ask your oncologist about light-weight ADT. I'm thinking of dutasteride (Avodart). Side effects are minimal for most men and it can slow or halt PSA progression for some men.

Best of luck.

Alan

[Burnett1948 in reply to AlanMeyer]

Burnett1948. AlanMeyer thank you very much. I will be 70 in June. I am using a stationary bike in the lounge daily. I am getting over 2 knee replacements which I dad in 2016 which slowed me down. I have a set of weights and dumb bell weights I use and I am swimming slowly. I will tell my doctors about your Avodart suggestion. A former Urologist in Melbourne told me to do this previously.Again thank for your advice which I will do my very nybest to follow. I am a Aussie. Best Wishes John Hooper.

[AlanMeyer Moderator in reply to Burnett1948]

With the knee replacements I presume you need to be VERY careful on the bike. The swimming however seems like a great idea. My father-in-law swam almost every day and stayed in very good shape until just a few months before his death at age 87.

Alan

[ng27868168]

Burnett 48 Once again, to know your age is of the utmost importance. Personally, as a now 77 year old, 24 year PCa survivor and facilitator for our PCa group, I have witnessed more than a few men who have tried to cure their prostate cancer with exercise and "eating more healthy" only prolongs and makes matters worse when real and aggressive treatment like surgery and/or radiation finally has to be done in the end. If you have 20 years of life expectancy left, to do nothing but exercise and eat better is in my opinion, very risky. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I have heard more than a few men AND their Doctors say, "well, I guess if we would have know then what we know now, we should have done more." Good luck.

P.S. I've had a few men complain that I sometimes come across too harsh, but my personal experience dealing with my PCa as well as seeing the choices others have made, got me to this point. You asked for opinions, here's mine.

[Burnett1948 in reply to ng27868168]

Burnett1948.ng27868168. I agree in the science and believe its improving our life expectancy every day. I have had a RRP and salvage radiation. I am doing these things to hopefully slow down my PSA increase to keep my doubling high. Because I don't know when my cancer will start to metastasise. I like Alan Meyer's ADT Avodart. Thanks for caring.

[Burnett1948 in reply to Burnett1948]

Burnett1948.ng27868168 I had a PET Scan at the Wesley Hospital in Brisbane Australia when my recurring PCa PSA was .87 with no mets showing.

[aksns61]

I am 76, at 74 discovered PCa -->> it was T2b; I had ADT + Brachy + radiation. My docs have always encouraged healthy eating and exercise daily. Annual checkups reveal excellent results. I don't binge or overdo which only brings discomfort and/or bad impacts. ALSO, keep your mind active by reading, writing and math games.

[Burnett1948 in reply to aksns61]

Burnett1948.askns61I know and I agree I just have to push myself with a good routine. I also do a guided mediation most days which clears my thinking. Thanks.

[Burnett1948]

Burnett1948.Daddysdaughter;That’s what my Radiation Oncologist told me in February earlier this year when my PSA was 2.5. She knows I am taking the 4 things you are and was happy about te results telling me she didn’t need to see me for 2 years because isn’t anything to refer me to an medical oncologist for.then in August my PSA spiked to 4.1.Following her advice about exercise I saw a young physio who told me to bike ride and gave me some weight exercises and some stretching exercises. I also walk the dog for about 1 mile a day. I am certainly not exercising toexhaustion state.In 2016 I had both my knees replaced Iam70. Bu t I’m in goodphysical condition.