Dr. Dorff on the Benefit of Bright White Light Therapy on Obese Frailty in Prostate Cancer

Tanya Dorff, MD, a medical oncologist and associate clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology & Therapeutics Research at City of Hope, discusses the effects of bright white light therapy on obese frailty in older men with prostate cancer, as demonstrated in a pilot randomized control trial presented during the 2021 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

The study was designed to examine men who were 60 years of age or older, who weighed more, and who had a higher waist circumference, in order to achieve the most impact, as hormone therapy has been known to have a higher potential to cause harm in this patient population, Dorff explains. A total of 18 patients who had started androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) with abiraterone acetate (Zytiga) or enzalutamide (Erleada) were randomized to either bright white light or dim white light using Luminette glasses for 30 minutes every morning for 3 months.

Although the trial had to be closed early due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, early results showed an impressive reduction in loss of strength, as measured by grip strength, among patients in the bright white light group, Dorff says. Notably, despite the association between ADT and fatigue and metabolic changes, results also showed a better maintenance of energy with bright white light. Moreover, waist circumference did not increase as much among these patients compared with those who were in the dim white light arm, Dorff adds.

Due to the safety and efficacy of this therapy demonstrated in the trial, this is an area that should be studied further, Dorff concludes.