AICR
Key takeaways:
- A study co-funded by AICR found that adults with a history of cancer spent less time being active than healthy adults, especially in the first year after diagnosis.
- On average, people with a history of cancer spent 25 fewer minutes per day being active compared to healthy adults.
- The findings could help healthcare professionals offer more practical, personalized support to cancer survivors.
A cancer diagnosis can affect energy levels, daily routines and how easy it feels to stay active. Knowing more about these everyday changes may help healthcare professionals offer support that feels more realistic and manageable for cancer survivors.
A new study published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health analyzed data from 91,352 UK Biobank participants. This included 10,152 people with a history of cancer, as well as healthy adults and those living with other health conditions. The study is part of an international collaboration based at Monash University in Australia.
Research subjects wore a wrist activity monitor for up to seven days. This allowed researchers to see how much time each day was spent:
- Doing moderate to vigorous activity
- Doing light activity
- Being inactive, like when sitting or sleeping
The study used data from wearable technology, which records and transmits daily movement. Subjects wore a wrist activity monitor to provide data on movement, sitting time and sleep across everyday life.
What is wearable technology? Wearable technology includes any electronic device that you can wear on or attached to your body. Examples are smartwatches, fitness trackers and wireless ear buds. These devices carry sensors that can measure movement, temperature or your body’s signals (like a heartbeat). Most devices connect wirelessly to your smartphone or computer so you can see your information.
What Did the Study Find?
On average, people with a history of cancer spent about 25 fewer minutes per day being active compared to the healthy group. The research shows that people with cancer:
- Had 11 fewer minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity
- Had 14 fewer minutes of light activity
- Spent 11 more minutes sedentary
- Spent 14 more minutes in the sleep period
The difference was greatest among people diagnosed within the year. Compare to healthy adults, people with cancer had:
- 40 fewer active minutes a day
- 20 more sedentary minutes
- 20 more minutes in the sleep period
The largest differences were seen in people with lung and GI cancers. Some cancer groups are small, and the results require cautious interpretation.
Some Study Limitations
The “sleep period” included time spent awake in bed, meaning longer periods may reflect disrupted or poor sleep. Due to this, data cannot be seen as a precise record of time spent asleep.
This was an observational study. It cannot prove that cancer caused the differences or show exactly how activity changed before and after diagnosis. The researchers also did not have details about cancer stage or treatment.
What Did We Learn from This Study?
The findings suggest that some people may need extra practical support to stay active in the period soon after a cancer diagnosis. This does not have to mean structured exercise. Looking at the whole day could help healthcare professionals find realistic ways to replace some sitting time with safe movement, such as walking.
Dr. Yue Liao of the University of Texas at Arlington was part of this research. She explains: “A cancer diagnosis can reshape everyday life, including how much people move, sit and rest. By using wearable monitors, we found that people with a history of cancer were less active across the day. The difference was greatest in the first year after diagnosis. These findings underline the need for practical, personalized support that helps each person move in ways that feel safe, realistic and achievable.”
This work was partly funded by AICR, as part of its work to improve health and quality of life for people affected by cancer. AICR is part of a network of charities led by World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) International, alongside World Cancer Research Fund in the UK and Wereld Kanker Onderzoek Fonds in the Netherlands.
Dr. Helen Croker, WCRF International’s Assistant Director of Research and Policy, said: “Wearable monitors are common devices nowadays, and they’re scientifically exciting. They have revolutionized research, giving us far more data than old approaches like self-reported surveys. With more accuracy, they let us understand how people move, sit and sleep. We’re delighted that our funding has helped this terrific team use this kind of data to show how behavior shapes cancer risk and survival, and where support is needed most.”
AICR recommends moving more and sitting less when possible. People receiving or recovering from cancer treatment should ask their healthcare team what is safe and suitable for them.
