ProHealth - Index

Key Features

The ProHealth Program has been co-designed with a range of prostate cancer specialists (i.e., nurses, dietitians, exercise physiologists, doctors) and patients to managing the side effects from androgen deprivation therapy structured through healthy eating and exercise.

ProHealth is designed specifically for prostate cancer health and wellbeing

Receive access to evidence-based educational materials

Online individualised dietary support from an accredited practising dietitian

Tailored home-based exercise program from an accredited exercise physiologist

How this works

ProHealth is a randomised controlled trial in which you may be allocated to receive the immediate or delayed access to ProHealth. More information can be found in the Participant Information and Consent Form. All equipment for participating in ProHealth will be delivered to you return-paid.

1 Register

2 Baseline measures

3 Randomisation

4 Access to ProHealth

Eligibility criteria

We are conducting ProHealth among people living with prostate cancer that have been treated with androgen deprivation therapy. ProHealth may be available for adults aged 18 years or older who ¹:

Have been diagnosed with prostate cancer
Treated with androgen deprivation therapy for >3 months
Not currently under the care of a nutrition or exercise health care professional

Once you register your interest in ProHealth a member of the research team will be in contact with you to confirm eligibility.

¹ You can check the complete eligibility criteria to participate in ProHealth when registering for the trial

If you are interested in participating, you can register below.

Contact Us

This project is led by Dr Brenton Baguley who has over 10 years’ experience developing lifestyle interventions and support for people living with prostate cancer.

If you have any questions or would like further information about the ProHealth research study please contact: prohealth@deakin.edu.au

Testimonial

Exercise is incredibly important in supporting mental and physical health before, during and after cancer treatment. High quality scientific evidence outlines the importance of exercise for people undergoing androgen-deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer to manage various side-effects such as reduced muscle size & strength. In addition, a balanced diet is essential to fuel and support the exercise benefits for people on ADT.

Nutrition plays a crucial role in supporting your health during androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer. A balanced diet can help mitigate side effects, maintain muscle mass, and boost your overall energy levels. Prioritising nutrient-rich foods, such as lean proteins, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, can enhance your body’s resilience and promote a sense of well-being. As an Accredited Practising Dietitian, it is a privilege to support my patients in making healthy choices, empowering them to nourish their bodies and strengthen their fight against cancer.

One of the biggest lessons I gained from my cancer journey was the importance of looking after yourself, yourself. If you don’t do this, you are effectively undermining all the efforts of the professionals working hard to help you through. And the essence of looking after yourself is giving your body the best nutrition and physical condition possible for you. The diet and exercise programs which were part of my own therapy were significant contributors to my recovery. And the proof of this is that I’m here to tell you so!

When I commenced ADT in July 2020 it was recommended to me to focus my energy on diet and exercise to reduce the side affect of ADT. I found this advice to be extremely helpful, who would have thought an individual prior to ADT full of energy and never had weight issues would suddenly be challenged with fatigue and gaining weight. My focus on diet and exercise really helped my mental state as well. Once I developed my regime of exercise with an Exercise Physiologist I was capable of managing my daily work activities and minimise any weight through good diet. This has ensured I continue to live my life with cancer as best l can.

A balanced diet and exercise are crucial for men with prostate cancer on Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT) to manage treatment side effects like muscle loss, heart disease risk, osteoporosis, diabetes, depression and weight gain. I strongly recommend all my patients on ADT attend an exercise physiologist for a safe and sustainable exercise programme. I find men consider exercise as a powerful tool to feel better and stronger. I also refer many men on ADT to dietitians for expert nutritional advice to obtain advice how to make sustainable healthy changes to their diet.

Our team

Nutrition

Exercise

Digital health

Nursing and Psychology

Implementation

Consumers

Acknowledgements

The ProHealth team would like to acknowledge The Victorian Cancer Agency for funding this program of work; Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia for their support in recruitment; Neil Prasertsung for his input in the web-platform design; Luke Barisic for developing videos and VALD for providing exercise program videos.

Welcome to ProHealth

ProHealth is a remotely-delivered prostate cancer specific personalised online healthy eating and exercise program that is designed specifically for people treated with Androgen Deprivation Therapy.