Exercise helps sex life after prostate radiation
Key points
- Men treated with external beam radiation therapy for Prostate cancer may find their sex life affected, but physical activity seems to make the problem less likely, according to new research.
- Physical activity preserves the sexual functioning of older men, the authors point out in the medical journal Urology, but whether it influences sexual functioning after treatment for Prostate cancer is unknown.
- Dahn and colleagues from University of Miami looked at treatment procedures, physical activity, and sexual functioning in 111 men with localized prostate cancer who were treated with radiotherapy.
- Overall, physical activity was independently related to sexual functioning, the team found.
Men treated with external beam radiation therapy for Prostate cancer may find their sex life affected, but physical activity seems to make the problem less likely, according to new research.
Physical activity preserves the sexual functioning of older men, the authors point out in the medical journal Urology, but whether it influences sexual functioning after treatment for Prostate cancer is unknown.
To investigate, Dr. Jason R. Dahn and colleagues from University of Miami looked at treatment procedures, physical activity, and sexual functioning in 111 men with localized prostate cancer who were treated with radiotherapy.
Overall, physical activity was independently related to sexual functioning, the team found.
The association was especially strong among men who received external beam radiation, whereas physical activity did not significantly affect sexual functioning among men who received radioactive seed implants or combination treatment.
Dahn and colleagues say the issue should be explored in a larger, forward-looking study "to ascertain whether the effects of physical activity in this at-risk population extend over time and protect men from treatment-related decrements in sexual functioning.
SOURCE: Urology, May 2005.
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
Explore health topics
More in this topic
Cancer →NewsNew Web site Helps Doctors and Prostate Cancer Patients Make Better Treatment Choices
Doctors have created a free online computer tool, the CaP Calculator, that provides cancer specialists access to the latest prostate cancer research and helps them better individiualize each patient’s treatment options,…
24 September 2008
NewsRadiation added to hormone therapy increases survival for men with prostate cancer
For men with locally advanced prostate cancer the addition of radiation treatment to anti-androgen hormone therapy reduces the risk of dying of prostate cancer by 50 percent compared to those who have anti-androgen…
23 September 2008
NewsProstate irradiation raises risk of colon cancer
Data from the Geneva Cancer Registry show an increased long-term risk of colon cancer in men who have undergone external radiation therapy for prostate cancer. "The risk of second cancer after irradiation, although…
