After a diagnosis of prostate cancer, men often have to navigate a 180-degree change in their lifestyle. Juggling ongoing treatments and experiencing treatment-related side effects such as fatigue, loss of muscle strength, fitness, erectile dysfunction and bladder/bowel dysfunction can impact on a person’s quality of life and be overwhelming.
Physiotherapists are part of the core multidisciplinary healthcare team to guide and motivate a person to understand how to best improve their health with education and a program that is tailored to them.
--What is prostate cancer?
Prostate cancer occurs when abnormal cells develop in the prostate (a small gland located below the bladder and in front of the rectum in men) and start growing in an uncontrolled way. In most men, prostate cancer is a slow-growing disease and in other cases, prostate cancers can spread to other parts of the body.
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in Australian men (after skin cancers). Each year, around 16,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer. 95% of men survive at least five years after diagnosis, particularly if diagnosed with localised prostate cancer.*
A person’s experience of prostate cancer after diagnosis is unique to them and there are many treatments available for prostate cancer.
-- What are the causes?
While we don’t know the causes of prostate cancer, some of the risk factors that may increase the chance of developing prostate cancer include, age and family history. The risk of developing prostate cancer increases with age. You have a higher chance of developing prostate cancer if a person has a family member, or more than one close relative, with prostate cancer.
-- What treatments are available?
There are many different treatments available for prostate cancer and treatment often depends on age, general health, the grade and stage of cancer. Treatment is uniquely tailored to the person and may include:
- Active surveillance (monitoring of cancer that is not causing symptoms and is considered low risk)
- Watchful waiting (monitoring of cancer where the cancer is not likely to cause a problem in a person’s lifetime)
- Surgery (prostatectomy or removal of the prostate)
- Radiotherapy
- Androgen deprivation (ADT or Hormone) therapy (Used to slow testosterone production and cancer growth)
- Chemotherapy.
--What side effects could I experience from these treatments?
Following prostate cancer treatment, men often experience issues of:
- Fatigue, lethargy
- Loss of muscle strength and fitness
- Depression
- Urinary incontinence
- Erectile dysfunction and/or
- Bladder/bowel dysfunction after prostate cancer surgery or radiotherapy.
-- How can physio help?
After a diagnosis of prostate cancer, men often have to navigate a 180-degree change in their lifestyle. Juggling ongoing treatments and experiencing treatment-related side effects such as fatigue, loss of muscle strength, fitness, erectile dysfunction and bladder/bowel dysfunction can impact on a person’s quality of life and be overwhelming.
Physiotherapists are part of the core multidisciplinary healthcare team to guide and motivate a person to understand how to best improve their health with education and a program that is tailored to them.
If you have advanced prostate cancer or cancer that has spread to your bones, a physiotherapist will be able to supervise and guide exercise in a safe manner that builds up muscle and protects bones and joints. An initial consultation with a men’s pelvic health or cancer physiotherapist, will involve discussion about the condition and what you want to achieve from the treatment, as well as extensive education on the exercises required. An ultrasound of the perineum may be done to see how well the pelvic floor muscles are working. A tailored exercise program will then be provided, which will be reviewed and adjusted to ensure relevance and goal achievement. The exercises can be done at home with the frequency and intensity dependent on your diagnosis.
With men undergoing prostate surgery (prostatectomy), it is standard practice for surgeons to refer men to see a pelvic health physiotherapist prior to the prostate surgery. This ensures they are exercising their pelvic floor muscles correctly, and to follow-up after surgery to allow the best possible chance of recovery. Getting back to normal work, family and exercise routines are so important for recovery, and proper physiotherapy treatment will help men get there.
--Physiotherapy options before, during and after treatment.
Men’s pelvic health and cancer physiotherapists are able to provide holistic, specialised treatment at various stages of prostate cancer. They are able to guide a person along each step to empower them to look after their health through the cancer diagnosis.
Men’s pelvic health and cancer physiotherapists often use other specialised assessment and treatment strategies such as:
- Real-time ultrasound to assess pelvic floor muscle function
- Pelvic floor muscle training
- Pilates or core stability exercise training
- Biofeedback training.
Before surgery, radiotherapy or other treatment:
An individually tailored program will be provided by the physiotherapist and will often include education, pelvic floor muscle training and exercise to maximise physical fitness and fast-track recovery after treatment.
During radiotherapy or other treatment:
A physiotherapist will work with their patient to monitor and manage any changes in their health, strength and fitness, mood and develop a program to keep the person fit, reduce symptoms and maximise quality of life.
After surgery, radiotherapy or other treatment:
A physiotherapist will use various rehabilitation treatments to address any continence or leakage issues, restore any loss in fitness and muscle strength that occurred while having cancer treatment, and maximise functional abilities, psychological status and quality of life long-term.
