The level of physical activity in long-term survivors of testicular cancer

Received 9 December 2002; accepted 11 December 2002.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to estimate the level of physical activity (LPA) in a large cohort of testicular cancer survivors (TCSs) and compare these results with observations from men in the same age range in the general population (GenPop). We also wanted to identify parameters that influenced physical activity. The study populations consisted of 1276 TCSs treated with surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy with or without surgery (mean observation time was 12 years), and 20391 male inhabitants from a Norwegian county (GenPop). All completed a question investigating two sub-levels of physical activity. The logistic regression analysis adjusting for different covariates, showed significantly more physically active men among the TCSs compared with the GenPop (43 versus 37%) (adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=1.32 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.10–1.58)). The results indicate that the experience of testicular cancer increases rather than reduces the LPA in TCSs, independent of treatment given.

Keywords: Level of physical activity, Testicular cancer survivors

a Department and Psychosocial Oncology and Rehabilitation, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Oslo 0310, Norway

b Division of Epidemiology, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway

c Department of Oncology, Hauteland Hospital, Bergen, Norway

d Department of Oncology, St. Olav's Hospital, Trondheim, Norway

e Department of Oncology, University Hospital, Tromsø, Norway

f Department of Oncology, Ullevål University Hospital Oslo, Norway

g Department of Oncology & Radiotherapy, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway

Corresponding author. Tel.: +47-22-93-51-81

PII: S0959-8049(03)00151-5

doi:10.1016/S0959-8049(03)00151-5

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