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Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health-related quality of life in prostate cancer survivors in the health professionals follow-up study

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Abstract

Purpose

Many prostate cancer survivors experience compromised health-related quality of life (HRQOL) as a result of prostate cancer. We examined relationships between types and intensities of activity and sedentary behavior and prostate cancer-related HRQOL, overall, and by demographic, disease, and treatment characteristics.

Methods

Associations between post-diagnosis activity and sedentary behavior and HRQOL domains (urinary incontinence, urinary irritation/obstruction, bowel, sexual, and vitality/hormonal) were prospectively examined in men diagnosed with non-metastatic prostate cancer in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (n = 1917) using generalized linear models.

Results

After adjusting for potential confounders, higher duration of total, non-vigorous, and walking activity was associated with higher vitality/hormonal functioning scores (p-trends, <0.0001). Effects were small (d = 0.16–0.20) but approached clinical significance for men in the highest vs. lowest activity categories. Survivors who walked ≥90 min/week at a normal pace, or faster, reported higher hormone/vitality scores (p = 0.001) than men walking <90 min at an easy pace. Weightlifting was associated with increased urinary incontinence (p-trend, 0.02). Total activity was associated with higher hormone/vitality functioning in men who were ≥5 years post-treatment, had more advanced disease (Gleason score ≥7), and had ≥1 comorbid condition. No relationships were observed between vigorous activity or sedentary behavior and HRQOL.

Conclusions

Increased duration of non-vigorous activity and walking post-diagnosis was positively associated with better hormone/vitality functioning. Specifically, engaging in ≥5 h of non-vigorous activity or ≥3 h of walking per week may be beneficial.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Encouraging men to engage in non-vigorous activity and walking may be helpful for managing prostate cancer-related HRQOL.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the participants, Lauren McLaughlin, and other staff of the Health Professionals Follow-up Study for their valuable contributions as well as the following state cancer registries for their help: AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WA, and WY. The authors assume full responsibility for analyses and interpretation of these data.

Funding/Support

The research for this article was funded by the NIH/NCI UM1 CA167552 to Harvard University and a UCSF Research Evaluation and Allocation Committee Award (Fund 38107). Edward Giovannucci is also supported by NIH R01 CA133891. Siobhan Phillips was supported by the National Cancer Institute Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program during her work on this project.

Conflict of interest

The authors have no conflict of interest or financial disclosures to report.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 680 N. Lakeshore Drive, Suite 1400, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA

    Siobhan M. Phillips

  2. Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Meir J. Stampfer & Edward L. Giovannucci

  3. Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Meir J. Stampfer & Edward L. Giovannucci

  4. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    June M. Chan & Stacey A. Kenfield

  5. Department of Urology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    June M. Chan

  6. Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

    Meir J. Stampfer, Edward L. Giovannucci & Stacey A. Kenfield

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  1. Siobhan M. Phillips
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  5. Stacey A. Kenfield
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Correspondence to Siobhan M. Phillips.

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Phillips, S.M., Stampfer, M.J., Chan, J.M. et al. Physical activity, sedentary behavior, and health-related quality of life in prostate cancer survivors in the health professionals follow-up study. J Cancer Surviv 9, 500–511 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0426-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-015-0426-2

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