- Design
- Multicentre, open-label randomised trial
- Population
- 700 men on androgen deprivation therapy at 15 NHS trusts in England
- Primary outcome
- FACT-P and FACIT-F scores at 12 months
- Effect
- FACT-P +4.5 (97.2% CI 1.7 to 7.2); FACIT-F +1.9 (0.4 to 3.4)
STAMINA, a multicentre randomised trial in The Lancet Oncology (4 September 2026), enrolled 700 men on androgen deprivation therapy across 15 NHS trusts in England (median age 72). It compared a 12-month programme of supervised aerobic and resistance exercise, dietary advice, behavioural support and free gym membership against optimised usual care, which included clinician training, educational materials and safety checks.
At 12 months, the programme improved prostate cancer quality of life on the FACT-P scale by 4.5 points and fatigue on the FACIT-F subscale by 1.9 points. Three serious adverse events were related to the programme, and all resolved.
Guidelines have recommended supervised exercise for men on hormone therapy for years, but it is rarely arranged. STAMINA shows it can be built into routine cancer services and that it works against a strong comparator. The trial was unblinded, the outcomes were self-reported, and 97% of participants were White, so the size of the benefit in other populations is uncertain.
For urologists and oncologists starting androgen deprivation, it supports referring for supervised resistance and aerobic exercise as part of treatment, not as optional advice.
- Refer men starting androgen deprivation therapy to supervised aerobic and resistance exercise where available.
- Do a safety-to-exercise check before referral, including cardiovascular and bone health.
- Give dietary advice alongside exercise to address weight gain and metabolic effects.
- Where supervised programmes do not exist, prescribe a home programme with clear targets and follow-up.
- Ask about fatigue and quality of life at every review on hormone therapy.
Why it matters
It turns a long-standing guideline recommendation into a deliverable service with randomised evidence behind it.
Don't overread it
The trial was unblinded with self-reported outcomes, and the improvements are modest in size.
The statistics, in plain English
Both differences are statistically significant but modest, and likely smaller than the changes often cited as clinically important on these scales; the average hides men who gained a lot and men who gained little. The unusual 97.2% confidence interval reflects an adjustment for testing two primary outcomes. Both intervals exclude no effect.
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