Exercise During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer

A Phase II Randomized Controlled Trial of Exercise in Prostate Cancer Patients Undergoing Active Surveillance

The broad goal of the Exercise During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer (ERASE) trial is to examine the effects of exercise in prostate cancer patients undergoing active surveillance.

The ERASE Trial will be a phase II randomized controlled trial. A total of 66 men with low- or intermediate-grade clinically localized prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance will be randomized to either a 12-week of supervised high-intensity aerobic interval training or usual care. The primary outcome will be peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) as a measure of physical fitness. The secondary outcomes include tumour-related biomarkers, fear of cancer progression, quality of life, and psychological distress. Exploratory outcomes will include indicators of cancer progression including prostate-specific antigen. Based on this sample size, our study has 80% power with a two-tailed alpha <0.05 to detect a clinically meaningful effect of 3.5 ml/kg/min on our primary outcome of VO2max. This power will also be sufficient for detecting differences in our secondary biomarkers and patient-reported outcomes if the effects are at least moderate (i.e., a standardized effect size of d=0.60).

Inclusion Criteria:

• ≥18 years of age
• diagnosed with low or favorable intermediate grade localized PCa defined as PSA less than 10, Gleason Score 3+3 or 3+4 with low volume, and digital rectal examination (DRE) of T1C or T2A
• initiating or continuing active surveillance with no plans for treatment for prostate cancer in the next 6 months (e.g., radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, or androgen deprivation therapy)
• screened for medical clearance for exercise testing and participation in vigorous aerobic exercise
• residing in a commutable area near Edmonton, Alberta
• willing to commute to the Behavioural Medicine Fitness Centre three times per week to attend a 12-week supervised high-intensity aerobic interval exercise program

Exclusion Criteria:

• having comorbidities or uncontrolled medical conditions that their referred clinicians indicate as inappropriate to participate in exercise (e.g., known cardiac disease or uncontrolled hypertension)
• having contraindications for cardiopulmonary stress and/or physical fitness tests
• currently participating in a structured, vigorous exercise program.