Cancer HealthCast: NCI Uses Wearables Data to Link Exercise to Cancer Risk

A recently published study by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) discovers a link between physical activity and cancer risk after gathering data from wrist sensors, which could help lead to major advances in cancer research. Alaina Shreves, predoctoral fellow at NCI's Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics Metabolic Epidemiology Branch, said the findings come from accelerometer-measured physical activity, which associated low-intensity exercise with up to a 26 percent decreased risk of certain cancers. Shreves highlighted the importance of wrist sensor data in cancer prevention. She also shared her excitement about a new project involving wearable technologies to determine how walking patterns impact cancer development.