Yoga for Prostate Cancer Patients

A new study of the health-related quality-of-life benefits of yoga on prostate cancer patients was recently published in the Journal of Urology.

After skin cancer, prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. According to the American Cancer Society, about one man in eight will be diagnosed with prostate cancer during his lifetime. About 6 in 10 of these cases are in men 65 years and older. While it can be a serious disease, most men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die from something else.

The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be approximately 268,000 new cases and approximately 34,500 deaths from prostate cancer in 2022 in the US. Prostate cancer disproportionately affects men of color. Non-Hispanic Black men have a 75% higher risk of prostate cancer and are twice as likely to die from it than White men, with genetics accounting for some of these disparities, according to a global study. 

Researchers from the University of Texas Health, San Antonio, evaluated the impact of yoga on quality of life and immune and inflammatory responses. The study included 30 men with cancer of the prostate gland who were scheduled for a prostatectomy, or radical prostate removal. Half of the patients performed 60 minutes of yoga twice a week for six weeks before surgery and three to six weeks after surgery. The other half of the patients received standard care.

Researchers collected functional and quality-of-life data from the patients at the beginning of the study, before the surgery, and six weeks after the surgery. The group that performed yoga reported higher quality-of-life scores, including reduced fatigue and improvements in physical, sexual, functional, and social well-being.

On each of the data collection dates, blood samples of the patients were taken to measure immune cell status and inflammatory response. The group that performed yoga had improvements in markers of natural killer cell function, and decreased cells (regulatory T-cells and myeloid-derived suppressor cells) associated with decrease anti-tumor activity. The group also had decreased levels of certain cytokines that promote inflammation.

The researchers concluded, “Yoga is feasible in this setting [prostatectomy] and has benefits that require further investigation.”