Giving Fitbits to cancer patients could help them live longer

According to new research, giving cancer patients physical fitness monitoring could improve their chances of survival.

The doctors found that patients with a higher number of steps had a mortality rate up to one-third lower than that of other patients.

Experts said the results could even lead physicians to prescribe steps to their patients, rather than traditional drugs.

The study, involving the Cancer Institute (ICR) and the Royal Marsden Hospital, revealed that the link between activity levels and survival rates was incredibly strong.

As a result of these findings, physicians attending the annual conference of the American Society of Clinical Oncology announced that portable fitness equipment would become a standard part of treatment and that 70 clinical trials were underway.

Another study of patients with advanced cancer in the United States also found that counting steps had a significant impact on survival times.

The study of 37 patients found that those who performed 1,000 additional steps each day were twice as likely to be alive by the end of the six-month study.

"We may be able to tell patients; An average of 4,000 steps per day means that 6,000 or 8,000 steps could be more useful than prescription drugs, "said Dr. Andrew Hendifar, a researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

Professor Johann de Bono of the ICR study added, "We believe that the fitness levels of cancer patients can be controlled by Fitbit. This can help doctors know how well they will be able to cope with the treatments. It can also give us an idea of ​​how long they live.

"In simple terms, if you're less fit, you're less likely to succeed and die quickly. But it also encourages patients to look at their number of steps and to be more fit and active, which can help them get better.

"This small test shows that the most able patients were three times less likely to die."

MORE: This smart photography hack gives the impression that you have a pool

MORE: Portraits capture the faces of women who have had an abortion

MORE: Learn ALAN method to help a friend with mental health issues