Fitness Trackers Can Help Monitor Cancer Patients

BOSTON (CBS) - Fitness trackers are used by many Americans to count their daily steps but a new study from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles finds these wearable devices could provide also vital information about patients undergoing cancer treatments.

Wearable activity monitors and not only can they count steps or stairs climbed, they can monitor calories spent, heart rate, and sleep patterns.

Researchers collected fitness tracker data on 37 patients undergoing treatment for advanced cancer and compared it to how patients said they were feeling at the time in terms of pain, fatigue and sleep quality.

They found that higher daily step counts were associated with more positive health ratings and fewer complications and hospitalizations.

While this was a small study, it suggests that data collected by fitness trackers can help doctors remotely assess a patient's quality of life and help predict whether they might be getting worse.