Prescribing Fitbit To Cancer Patients Boosts Survival Rate, Research Suggests

Fitbit isn't exactly a cure for cancer, but it could help, a new research has suggested.

Cancer is a disease caused by cellular changes, specifically when they cause uncontrollable growth and division of cells. There are various types of cancer with some causing rapid cell growth, and others causing cells to grow and divide at a slower rate than usual.

After heart disease, cancer is considered to be the second most common cause of death in the United States. Worldwide, the disease is considered to be the leading cause of death, claiming an estimated 9.6 million lives in 2018.

As it stands, there is no definitive cure for cancer as of yet. With a cure still far out of reach, many medical professionals are turning to alternative methods in the hopes of finding something that can improve the quality of life of cancer patients.

In line with alternative methods, new research suggested that prescribing Fitbits to cancer patients helps boost survival rates. According to the study, the link between activity levels and survival rates was so strong that doctors could end up prescribing steps, in addition to medication.

Additionally, while patients assure their doctors that they are staying active, the wearable tracker would be able to provide a more accurate insight into a patient's physical activity.

Fitbit trackers don’t just encourage cancer patients to be more active; they’re also helping doctors predict how well cancer patients will respond to treatment. According to a study involving the Royal Marsden Hospital and the Institute of Cancer Research, patients who walked an extra 1,000 steps had mortality rates one-third lower compared to those who took fewer steps. The study found that the fittest cancer patients were one-third less likely to die compared to other patients.

Another research also found that patients with advanced stages of cancer who took 1,000 steps more were twice as likely to be alive at the end of the study, which spanned six months. Their counterparts, who only took around 3,700 steps on average, did not have better survival rates.

Medical professionals express that if you are less fit, you are less likely to survive and will most likely die quickly. Those who are active though, have higher survival rates as step count has been closely linked to an increase in survival rates among cancer patients.