The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is relying on fitness trackers for a massive breast cancer study on whether exercise can reduce cancer recurrence.
The devices used for the study are being provided by Fitbit, free of charge. The collaboration is the largest one so far for Fitbit, according to a New York Times post.
The wearables maker will provide trackers to 3,200 women for the six-year project that will kick off this August. The devices will monitor weight, caloric and physical activity, as well as sleep data.
“If this study shows that losing weight through increasing physical activity and reducing calories improves survival rates in breast cancer, this could lead to weight loss and physical activity becoming a standard part of the treatment for millions of breast cancer patients around the world," Jennifer Ligibel, M.D., Dana-Farber breast oncologist and lead researcher of the Breast Cancer Weight Loss study, told the Times.
Fitbit, as reported by FierceMobileHealthcare last month, debuted its latest strategy to grab traction in the corporate wellness space with the launch of Fitbit Group Health. The vendor’s 2016 first quarter earnings reported Fitbit sold 4.8 million connected health and fitness devices in the quarter and Q1 revenue increased 50 percent compared to a year ago.
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