Comparison of Accelerometer-Derived Physical Activity Levels Between Individuals with and Without Cancer: A UK Biobank Study

Abstract

Aim: To identify the difference in physical activity (PA) levels between individuals with and without cancer, and to estimate all-cause mortality associated with this difference. Methods: Current cancer, cancer survivor and cancer-free groups were identified from the UK Biobank. We used multivariate and Cox regression to estimate PA differences and association of PA with all-cause mortality. Results: Compared with the cancer-free individuals, participants in the two cancer groups had fewer minutes in moderate-to-vigorous PA per day in adjusted analyses. The PA difference was associated with higher mortality in the current cancer group. Conclusion: Patients with a history of cancer were less active than those without cancer, and PA is associated with increased mortality. PA improvement strategies in cancer patients must be explored.

Keywords::

• accelerometer
• all-cause mortality
• cancer
• physical activity
• UK Biobank

Financial&competing interests disclosure

S Ramagopalan, L McDonald, R Carroll, P Thakkar, B Malcolm and F Mehmud are employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb. M Oguz, N Dhalwani and E Merinopoulou are employees of Evidera, and F Yang and A Cox were employees of Evidera at the time of conduct of this study. Evidera received funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb for this study. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under application number 44513. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

S Ramagopalan, L McDonald, R Carroll, P Thakkar, B Malcolm and F Mehmud are employees of Bristol-Myers Squibb. M Oguz, N Dhalwani and E Merinopoulou are employees of Evidera, and F Yang and A Cox were employees of Evidera at the time of conduct of this study. Evidera received funding from Bristol-Myers Squibb for this study. This research has been conducted using the UK Biobank Resource under application number 44513. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.