Scientists are to launch a new pilot study which could be the first step towards exercise training becoming an NHS treatment for prostate cancer.

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University, backed by Cancer Research UK, will focus on 50 men who have the disease, but whose cancer has not spread. The research will aim to build on previous research, such as findings from Sweden that regular exercise leads to better survival rates among men with prostate cancer.

Half of the men in the study will carry out two-and-a-half hours of aerobic exercise every week for 12 months – initially with the support of a qualified trainer and then with free access to local gyms. The other half will be given information about the benefits of exercise for cancer patients but will have no supervised sessions.

If the participants can successfully keep up their exercise regime for 12 months, the study is expected to lead to a full-scale trial to look at the potential benefits of combining active surveillance and exercise for some prostate cancer patients. The trial would aim to test whether regular exercise can help keep prostate cancer from spreading to other parts of the body and could be a viable NHS treatment.

“Evidence suggests that men who are physically active after a prostate cancer diagnosis have better cancer survival than men who aren’t active,” said study leader Dr Liam Bourke, principal research fellow at Sheffield Hallam University.

Bourke said it’s possible that exercise affects the way some genes regulate cancer cell growth and DNA repair, noting that Sheffield Hallam researchers have spent eight years developing the intervention that is being tested in this new study.

“It builds on what we already know and is the first step towards finding out whether exercise could be an effective and practical NHS treatment for localised prostate cancer,” he added.

“If we show it works and is feasible, it could be a real leap forward and good news for cancer patients.”

Although exercise referrals have enjoyed limited success, exercise professionals are eager to play a more active role in helping to lighten the load on the NHS by providing viable treatments. Public health delivery is becoming an increasingly important focus for the physical activity sector, with the chance to become a frontline public health delivery partner havng previously been identified as an £8bn opportunity for the industry.