Influence of androgen deprivation therapy on physical performance and muscle strength in prostate cancer patients — a systematic review

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) on muscle strength and physical performance in prostate cancer (PC) patients. The systematic search was carried out across four databases: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Scopus. Out of 5239 studies, 6 were included, where the standardized functional tests assessing functional mobility were used. The protocol was registered on PROSPERO. Data indicated that the grip strength decreases most rapidly at the beginning of ADT therapy and does not return to its initial values. The gait speed decreases with the duration of ADT and indicates that the patients are at increased risk of adverse outcomes. According to the Short Physical Performance Battery and the time Up and Go test results PC patients present good performance and good mobility. Changes in muscle strength and physical performance in PC patients undergoing ADT are visible and need attention of professionals to prevent further body composition changes.