Exercise During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
Exercise During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer
The broad goal of the Exercise During Active Surveillance for Prostate Cancer (ERASE) trial
 is to examine the effects of exercise in prostate cancer patients undergoing active
 surveillance.
The ERASE Trial will be a phase II randomized controlled trial. A total of 66 men with low-
 or intermediate-grade clinically localized prostate cancer undergoing active surveillance
 will be randomized to either a 12-week of supervised high-intensity aerobic interval training
 or usual care. The primary outcome will be peak oxygen consumption (VO2peak) as a measure of
 physical fitness. The secondary outcomes include tumour-related biomarkers, fear of cancer
 progression, quality of life, and psychological distress. Exploratory outcomes will include
 indicators of cancer progression including prostate-specific antigen. Based on this sample
 size, our study has 80% power with a two-tailed alpha <0.05 to detect a clinically meaningful
 effect of 3.5 ml/kg/min on our primary outcome of VO2max. This power will also be sufficient
 for detecting differences in our secondary biomarkers and patient-reported outcomes if the
 effects are at least moderate (i.e., a standardized effect size of d=0.60).
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  ≥18 years of age

 -  diagnosed with low or favorable intermediate grade localized PCa defined as PSA less
 than 10, Gleason Score 3+3 or 3+4 with low volume, and digital rectal examination
 (DRE) of T1C or T2A

 -  initiating or continuing active surveillance with no plans for treatment for prostate
 cancer in the next 6 months (e.g., radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, or androgen
 deprivation therapy)

 -  screened for medical clearance for exercise testing and participation in vigorous
 aerobic exercise

 -  residing in a commutable area near Edmonton, Alberta

 -  willing to commute to the Behavioural Medicine Fitness Centre three times per week to
 attend a 12-week supervised high-intensity aerobic interval exercise program

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  having comorbidities or uncontrolled medical conditions that their referred clinicians
 indicate as inappropriate to participate in exercise (e.g., known cardiac disease or
 uncontrolled hypertension)

 -  having contraindications for cardiopulmonary stress and/or physical fitness tests

 -  currently participating in a structured, vigorous exercise program.