Playing Football May Maintain Bone Health in Prostate Cancer Patients

Playing football/soccer over long-term may preserve the femoral bone mineral density (BMD) in men with prostate cancer, reports a new study. The findings of the study are published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sport. The study included 22 patients who were part of the FC Prostate Randomized Controlled Trial in 2012 and 2013, half of whom participated in self-organized football. At five years follow-up, right femoral neck BMD improved in football players by 2.8 percent, while right femoral neck BMD decreased in controls by 2.0 percent.

The authors noted that observed absence of deterioration in BMD in the football players is remarkable considering the decreases in BMD usually observed with aging and particularly in men exposed to androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer.

"We have previously shown improvements in BMD after 32 weeks of football training, and preserved BMD over five years in elderly men with prostate cancer is very encouraging. However, we are aware that the design of the present study does not allow for a causal relationship to be established between participation in football training over five years and the positive findings on BMD," said lead author Dr. Jacob Uth, of Rigshospitalet, in Denmark.

"Besides, we are impressed that football has motivated this group of elderly cancer patients to continue to be physically active more than five years after they met in the FC Prostate Randomized Controlled Trial."



Source-Eurekalert