PC-PEP, a Comprehensive Daily Six-Month Home-Based Patient Empowerment Program Leads to Weight Loss in Men with Prostate Cancer - A Secondary Analysis of a Clinical Trial

Q: What is PC-PEP and who was included in this study?

PC-PEP is a six-month daily, home-based patient empowerment program. The analysis included 128 men undergoing curative treatment for prostate cancer, randomized to early PC-PEP or a late waitlist-control group.

Q: How was the early vs. late intervention delivered?

The early group received PC-PEP immediately, while the late group received standard-of-care for 6 months and then started PC-PEP for the following 6 months. PC-PEP included daily emails with video-based exercise and dietary education, live online events, and 30-minute strength routines.

Q: What outcomes were observed at six months?

At six months, the early PC-PEP group experienced significant weight loss averaging 2.7 kg compared with the waitlist-control group (p<0.001). Weight loss was also observed in the late intervention group but was less pronounced than in the early group.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Olivia Brown

The Prostate Cancer—Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) is a six-month daily home-based intervention designed to improve mental health and urinary function; this secondary analysis evaluates weight loss among male PC-PEP participants. A randomized clinical trial of 128 men receiving curative prostate cancer treatment assigned 66 to an early PC-PEP group and 62 to a late waitlist-control group. PC-PEP delivered 182 daily email sessions with video exercise and dietary education plus live online events and strength routines, with outcomes collected at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months via online surveys and chart review. At six months, early participants showed significant weight loss (~2.7 kg, p<0.001), while late participants also lost weight. High adherence and no attrition or adverse events were reported.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Prostate cancer burden and weight-related risks

Rationale for weight loss during curative treatment

Article PC-PEP, a Comprehensive Daily Six-Month Home-Based Patient Empowerment Program Leads to Weight Loss in Men with Prostate Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of a Clinical Trial Wyatt MacNevin 1, Gabriela Ilie 1,2,3, *, Ricardo Rendon 1, Ross Mason 1, Jesse Spooner 1, Emily Chedrawe 1, Nikhilesh Patil 3, David Bowes 3, Greg Bailly 1, David Bell 1, Derek Wilke 3, Jeffery B. L. Zahavich 4, Cody MacDonald 2 and Robert David Harold Rutledge 3 Citation: MacNevin, W.; Ilie, G.; Rendon, R.; Mason, R.; Spooner, J.; Chedrawe, E.; Patil, N.; Bowes, D.; Bailly, G.; Bell, D.; et al. PC-PEP, a Comprehensive Daily Six-Month Home-Based Patient Empowerment Program Leads to Weight Loss in Men with Prostate Cancer: A Secondary Analysis of a Clinical Trial. Curr. Oncol. 2024, 31, 1667–1688. [https://](https://)[ ](https://)[doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31030127](doi.org/10.3390/curroncol31030127) Received: 21 February 2024 Revised: 14 March 2024 Accepted: 20 March 2024 Published: 21 March 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Urology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada 2 Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada 3 Department of Radiation Oncology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada 4 Department of Kinesiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada * Correspondence: [gabriela.ilie@dal.ca](gabriela.ilie@dal.ca); Tel.: +1-(902)-989-4114 Abstract: Background: The Prostate Cancer—Patient Empowerment Program (PC-PEP) is a six-month daily home-based program shown to improve mental health and urinary function. This secondary analysis explores weight loss in male PC-PEP participants. Methods: In a randomized clinical trial with 128 men undergoing curative prostate cancer (PC) treatment, 66 received ‘early’ PC-PEP, while 62 were assigned to the ‘late’ waitlist-control group, receiving 6 months of standard-of-care treatment followed by 6 months of PC-PEP. PC-PEP comprised 182 daily emails with video-based exercise and dietary (predominantly plant-based) education, live online events, and 30 min strength training routines (using body weight and elastic bands) . Weight and height data were collected via online surveys (baseline, 6 months, and 12 months) including medical chart reviews. Adherence was tracked weekly. Results: No attrition or adverse events were reported. At 6 months, the early PC-PEP group experienced significant weight loss, averaging 2.7 kg (p < 0.001) compared to the waitlist-control group. Weight loss was noted in the late intervention group of PC-PEP, albeit less pronounced than in the early group. Early PC-PEP surgery patients lost on average 1.4 kg (SE = 0.65) from the trial’s start to surgery day. High adherence to exercise and dietary recommendations was noted. Conclusions: PC-PEP led to significant weight loss in men undergoing curative prostate cancer treatment compared to standard-of-care. Keywords: prostate cancer; curative treatment; exercise intervention; radical prostatectomy; radiation; weight loss; Body Mass Index; physical fitness; behavioural intervention; weight management 1. Introduction Prostate cancer is one of the most frequently diagnosed cancers in men, accounting for approximately 7% of all cancer diagnoses worldwide [1] . Despite the generally high survival rates associated with prostate cancer, men diagnosed with prostate cancer face an increased risk of concurrent medical comorbidities and premature mortality, frequently attributed to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and conditions associated with being overweight [2–5] . In men with prostate cancer,

FAQs

What is PC-PEP and who was included in this study?

PC-PEP is a six-month daily, home-based patient empowerment program. The analysis included 128 men undergoing curative treatment for prostate cancer, randomized to early PC-PEP or a late waitlist-control group.

How was the early vs. late intervention delivered?

The early group received PC-PEP immediately, while the late group received standard-of-care for 6 months and then started PC-PEP for the following 6 months. PC-PEP included daily emails with video-based exercise and dietary education, live online events, and 30-minute strength routines.

What outcomes were observed at six months?

At six months, the early PC-PEP group experienced significant weight loss averaging 2.7 kg compared with the waitlist-control group (p<0.001). Weight loss was also observed in the late intervention group but was less pronounced than in the early group.

Sep 22, 2026

Upload by Olivia Brown