New research shows taking a brisk walk around the block several times a week may slow the progression of prostate cancer in men.
An article published in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, shows walking three hours a week could help men diagnosed with prostate cancer.
“It appears that men who walk briskly after their diagnosis may delay or even prevent progression of their disease,” said lead researcher Erin Richman, Sc.D., a research associate at the University of California, San Francisco.
Richman and colleagues observed 1,455 men who were diagnosed with prostate cancer that had not spread beyond the prostate. These patients reported their physical activity by questionnaire about 27 months after their diagnosis and prior to any evidence of recurrence or second treatment.
They found that men who walked briskly for at least three hours a week had a 57 percent lower rate of progression of disease than men who walked at an easy pace for less than three hours a week.
“The benefit from walking truly depended on how quickly you walked. Walking at an easy pace did not seem to have any benefit,” said Richman.
Results at a glance
• Effect was seen if men walked at a brisk pace after diagnosis
• Easy exercise regimen continues to improve health
• Walking decreased the likelihood of secondary treatments
Statistics on prostate cancer
According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in America, affecting 1 in 6 men. In 2010, nearly 218,000 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and more than 32,000 men will die from the disease. One new case occurs every 2.4 minutes and a man dies from prostate cancer every 16.4 minutes.
It is estimated that there are more than 2 million American men currently living with prostate cancer.
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