Exercise to Help the Side Effects of IMRT Radiation Prostate Treatment

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for prostate cancer delivers very precise doses of radiation in a way that matches the 3D shape of the tumor. It is designed to deliver a high dose of X-rays to cancer cells and limit exposure of normal tissue. While IMRT has fewer side effects than traditional radiation treatments, it still impacts your overall condition and can damage your urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder through your penis). Exercise can help you cope with those side effects.

Physical Activity

• Since fatigue is a common side effect of IMRT, it is important for you to get adequate rest and sleep. However, the American Cancer Society (ACS) also recommends moderate exercise to combat your fatigue and improve your quality of life. ACS bases these recommendations on findings from a controlled study of men who received radiation therapy for prostate cancer. When researchers compared men who exercised to other men who were told to continue their normal activities and rest when they felt tired, they found important differences. Men who walked 30 minutes a day several times a week, complained of less fatigue than the other group. This finding was true during radiation therapy, and for weeks afterward.

  During their radiation therapy, the men who exercised improved their scores on fitness tests by 13 percent. Those who did not exercise scored about the same before and after treatment. The researchers suggested that the non-exercise group may have lost muscle conditioning. This loss would make it more difficult for them to carry out daily activities, leading to even more fatigue.

  Even if your body is weakened by cancer and its treatments, you can exercise a little. If you are confined to bed, talk with your physical therapist or doctor about exercises to help you maintain muscle tone. When you do start ambulating, begin slowly---maybe walking around the house---and gradually build up as your body gets stronger. If you are receiving hormone therapy in addition to IMRT, walking is a good way to combat bone thinning (osteoporosis) from the drug.

Kegel Exercises

• If IMRT has damaged your urethra, you may have difficulty controlling your urine. Some men have trouble starting their stream of urine, others feel a sense of urgency that forces them to run to the bathroom, and still others become incontinent of urine. Kegel exercises may help you control your urination and improve your quality of life.

  According to the Michigan Cancer Consortium, Kegel exercises are designed to strengthen the muscles between your scrotum and your anus that control urination. Long Kegel exercises involve tightening the muscles for three to five seconds, relaxing them for three to five seconds, and repeating the pattern for 10 times. To do short Kegel exercises, alternately tighten and relax the same muscles for one second at a time for 10 repetitions.