Design: Multicentre, randomised trial (5:4), open-label
Population: 700 men on ADT for prostate cancer, 15 NHS trusts
Primary outcome: FACT-P and FACIT-F at 12 months
Effect: FACT-P +4.5 (1.7 to 7.2); FACIT-F +1.9 (0.4 to 3.4)

STAMINA randomised 700 men on androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer across 15 NHS trusts in England to a 12-month lifestyle programme or optimised usual care. The programme combined supervised aerobic and resistance exercise, dietary advice, behavioural support and gym membership; usual care included clinician training, education and prompts. It was published in The Lancet Oncology in September.

At 12 months, FACT-P quality of life was 4.5 points higher (97.2% CI 1.7 to 7.2) and FACIT-F fatigue 1.9 points better (0.4 to 3.4). Three intervention-related serious adverse events occurred, all resolved.

Guidelines already recommend supervised exercise on ADT, but it is rarely delivered. This shows it can be embedded in routine cancer services and improves how men feel. The comparator was an active usual-care arm, which makes the benefit more credible. Participants were 97% White, so applicability to Indian men should be judged locally.

Refer men starting ADT to a supervised exercise programme.
Combine aerobic and resistance training for at least 12 months.
Include dietary advice and behavioural support.
Build referral into the ADT start pathway rather than leaving it to chance.

Why it matters

A recommended but rarely delivered intervention has now been shown to work inside routine cancer services.

The statistics, in plain English

A 4.5-point FACT-P difference is around the smallest change patients notice, so the benefit is real but modest. Participants knew their allocation, which can inflate self-reported outcomes, and more follow-up data were missing in the usual-care group.