Download

Download Full Text (465 KB)

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Description

Background: This review examines the impact of prostate cancer symptoms, progression, and treatments on patients’ gait and mobility. Prostate cancer is the leading cancer diagnosis for men in the United States, with an increase in incidents in the last decade. Prostate cancer, its progression, and its various symptoms and treatments have both physical and functional consequences that often cause changes in patients’ mobility and gait. Some studies have found gait to be a predictor of functional decline and mortality. Given that functional decline and mortality are also consequences of cancer progression and cancer treatments, gait analysis could offer a non-invasive method tracking cancer progression. These findings could contribute to the idea of gait characteristics being a potential biomarker for cancer. This review summarizes current research to better understand how gait and mobility are impacted by prostate cancer and determine whether they have the potential to be a biomarker for prostate cancer. Purpose: The aim of this review was to evaluate current research on gait and mobility alterations in individuals with prostate cancer and their diagnostic potential, with a focus on the impact of the disease progression, symptoms, and treatments on gait parameters and functional mobility. Methodology: Three electronic databases (PubMed, Google Scholar, and ScienceDirect) were searched. Both studies and reviews of prostate cancer, its symptoms, and treatments were included. Results: Twenty-five articles were included in the review. The analysis found that there were alterations in both gait and mobility in prostate cancer patients. It was also found that the disease’s progression, its symptoms, and its treatments contribute to these changes in gait and mobility. However, while there is a significant amount of research on the impact of prostate cancer on mobility, there is a significant gap in the research on the impact of prostate cancer and its treatments on gait. Conclusion: Alterations in gait and mobility are present in individuals with prostate cancer and impacted by the disease progression, current symptoms, and treatment method. Current literature is limited on how prostate cancer influences gait parameters, making it difficult to determine stage-specific gait alterations. Future research should focus on longitudinal studies to create a better understanding on how progression, symptoms, and treatments collectively affect both gait and mobility.

Publication Date

2026

Document Type

Book

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Health, Human Performance and Recreation

Advisor/Mentor

Schmitt, Abigail

Committee Member

Greene, Nicholas

Disciplines

Male Urogenital Diseases | Oncology | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Keywords

Prostate; Cancer; Gait; Mobility; Symptoms; Treatment; Progression

A Review of Mobility and Gait Changes in Patients with Prostate Cancer: Disease Stage, Symptom, and Treatment-Related Influences

Share

COinS