Diet and exercise to alleviate treatments for prostate cancer

A DVD, developed by academics at the University of Hertfordshire, which illustrates the positive effects of diet and exercise in the treatment of prostate cancer, will be launched tomorrow.

Dr Andrew Garrett, at the University's Sport Health and Exercise Research Group, will be at the launch of the DVD, at The British Association of Urological Surgeons Annual Scientific Meeting (http://baus.meeting.org.uk/index.php), which is being held in Glasgow from 22-25 June.

The DVD, which was developed as a result of a research bid is endorsed by the Prostate Cancer Society, UK and financially supported by Ferrings Pharmaceuticals, will be widely distributed to the NHS by the Society. Broadcaster and writer Bob Harris from BBC Radio 2 provided the narration and chef Brian Turner from 'ready steady cook' on BBC 2, the dietary expertise.

According to Dr Garrett, if health practitioners prescribed low to moderate intensity exercise as well as standard treatments for prostate cancer, they could greatly improve their patients' quality of life.

"Prostate cancer treatment can often be for life and the drug treatments can have nasty side effects," said Dr Garrett. "Some of these side effects can be regulated by exercise, which, if combined with a healthy diet, can counteract the effects of the prostate cancer therapy."

The DVD, which Dr Garrett developed with Jane McClinchy at the University's Dietetics Research Group in collaboration with Professor Mike Kirby at the University's Centre for Research in Primary and Community Care, is based on the limited studies on the effects of exercise on prostate cancer therapy and includes a workout and dietary sheet for users.

http://www.herts.ac.uk/