Fitness Trackers Helping Cancer Patients
Photo Credit:FitNish Media
Fitness tracker also known as wearables are advancing yearly. They are more fashionable, have more functions, and the tracking is more accurate. Some use them for texts and calls, others for step counting, or heart rate monitoring.
In a recent study out of Cedars-Sinai Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute were using it to help treat cancer. The trackers are being used to track the patients lifestyle habits during therapy.
They tracked 37 patients and found the extra data collected can really help supplement their assessments of the patients. Patients had a higher step count and hospitalizations and other negative events were lowered.
"Data gathered through advancements in technology has the potential to help physicians measure the impact of a particular treatment on a patient's daily functioning," Gresham said.
"Furthermore, continuous activity monitoring may help predict and monitor treatment complications and allow for more timely and appropriate interventions."
Body Elite GM and Trainer, Mark Radio
Mark is a graduate of Bloomsburg University with a Bachelor's degree in Exercise Science as well as a Certified Nutritional Counselor with the AFPA. He serves as our General Manager, Exercise Physiologist as well as enjoys training clients of any skill level. He loves to emphasize strength training, high intensity cardio, eating "real" food, and customized programs to help our members reach their goals.
Journal Reference:
Gillian Gresham, Andrew E. Hendifar, Brennan Spiegel, Elad Neeman, Richard Tuli, B. J. Rimel, Robert A. Figlin, Curtis L. Meinert, Steven Piantadosi, Arvind M. Shinde. Wearable activity monitors to assess performance status and predict clinical outcomes in advanced cancer patients. npj Digital Medicine, 2018; 1 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41746-018-0032-6
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. "Fitness trackers prove helpful in monitoring cancer patients: Study shows wearable devices can help assess quality of life and daily functioning during treatment." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 July 2018. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180724174304.htm>.