Here’s the headline you’ve all been waiting for.  And the news comes from a prestigious source:  Duke University. Read on:

Exercise may lead to faster prostate tumor growth

DURHAM, N.C. — Prostate tumors grew more quickly in mice who exercised than in those who did not, leading to speculation that exercise may increase blood flow to tumors, according to a new study by researchers in the Duke Comprehensive Cancer Center (DCCC) and the Duke Prostate Center.

“Our study showed that exercise led to significantly greater tumor growth than a more sedentary lifestyle did, in this mouse model,” said Lee Jones, Ph.D., a researcher in the DCCC and senior investigator on this study. “Our thought is that we may, in the future, be able to use this finding to design better drug delivery models to more effectively treat prostate cancer patients, and those with other types of cancer as well.”

Are all you folks applauding yet?  Get off the treadmill and park the bike in the garage. 

Tomorrow we will find out that ice cream, french fries and hot dogs are a cure for PC.  Better than eating flaxseed, isn’t it?  Or soy?

I want to share with you a little story that relates to this.  I was oh so-o-o prescient.

Last June, Memorial Sloan-Kettering sponsored a rally for cancer survivors.  Ted and I went and had a nice time, but what stands out in my mind is what I was thinking at the time.  Here’s what I wrote back then:

The Survivor event started out with a 5-mile “Walk for Cancer”.  Because Ted is in good shape I thought it would be nice to show the world what a 55-year old cancer patient really looks like.  So I suggested to him that he do the Walk.

He replied:

 “Why should I walk for Cancer when I can get it by doing nothing?”

Why indeed.  Then what really freaked me out was the following thought: DH has had 2 cancers (melanoma, PC) plus a recurrence.  But he has *not* been sitting around.  He goes to the gym 4x/wk and has been doing this for a long time.  IS IT POSSIBLE THAT DH GOT THE CANCER FROM EXERCISING?  Wouldn’t surprise me.

Now I find out I was right.

The comedian Redd Foxx once said that people should enjoy themselves, indulge in all their bad habits, because when they die at least they’ll know WHY. 

With T. I didn’t know.  But maybe now I do.

I have to ask myself, isn’t this all so silly?  What is the utility of publishing a study which suggests that exercise worsens prostate cancer?  Should a man give up the benefits of keeping in shape just because a bunch of very active mice got aggressive PC?  I don’t think so.  And there have been other studies that suggested that *being sedentary* is the kiss of death for PC.

My dear husband gets a lot of emotional relief from exercising.  When he is not working (in the office), he is working out.    At one point I was concerned about him — I thought maybe he was exercising too much.  I have a theory: that spouse sees the gym is a sort of sanctuary.  He feels that the Angel of Death can’t get him there!  I’m convinced of it.  And I hope he’s right. (And I will see to it that the Angel of Death doesn’t get him anywhere.)

Bottom line is, spouse will continue to work out.

Because he’s a man, not a mouse.