What if aging could be measured in steps — not years?


I’m exploring how passive data from wearables can reflect functional fitness and vulnerability in older adults with cancer. This work asks whether real-time signals could guide better treatment decisions in aging and oncology.

Science

  • Screenshot of a scientific research article titled 'Adverse outcomes (AOs) in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) treated with intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT+)' from the Journal of Clinical Oncology, dated January 29, 2024.

    Adverse outcomes (AOs) in patients (pts) with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) treated with intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT+).

    Question
    Can baseline clinical and patient-reported factors be used to predict non-progression-related adverse outcomes in patients with metastatic castration-sensitive prostate cancer (mCSPC) undergoing intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT+)?

    Findings
    In this cohort study of 553 mCSPC patients from the global IRONMAN registry, 21.5% experienced serious adverse outcomes within two years of ADT+ treatment, including treatment discontinuation, dose reduction, or clinically significant serious adverse events. A multifactorial prediction model demonstrated good performance (AUC 0.77), with key predictors including higher baseline self-reported pain, urinary frequency, weakness, poor sexual function, and recent prednisone use (>5 mg within 30 days).cohort study of 553 mCSPC patients from the global IRONMAN registry, 21.5% experienced serious adverse outcomes within two years of ADT+ treatment, including treatmen

    Meaning
    A combination of baseline clinical and patient-reported measures can help identify patients at increased risk of adverse outcomes from intensified ADT. This model may support more personalized decision-making in the management of advanced prostate cancer.ADT. This model may support more personalized decision-making in the management of advanced prostate canc

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  • Screenshot of the Journal of Clinical Oncology article titled 'Frailty in motion: How Fitbit data reflects patients with cancers' functional status in the All-of-Us database.' The page includes the article's title, authors, publication info, and abstract.

    Frailty in motion: How Fitbit data reflects patients with cancers' functional status in the All-of-Us database.

    Question
    Is there an association between step count data from wearable devices and frailty status among older adults with cancer?

    Findings
    In this cohort study of 361 adults aged 50 and older with cancer and Fitbit data, higher daily step counts were significantly associated with lower frailty scores using the All of Us Frailty Index. Mean steps decreased across frailty categories (Fit: 8,136; Pre-Frail: 7,067; Frail: 5,486; all p < 0.01), and step count remained a significant predictor of fitness in multivariable analysis. Chronological age, gender, and multiple cancer diagnoses were not significant predictors.

    Meaning
    These findings suggest that step count is a meaningful and scalable indicator of frailty among older adults with cancer. Wearables may offer a low-burden approach to functional assessment in oncology, independent of age or comorbidities.

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Tools in Development

This research asks:

Can we better identify vulnerability in older adults with cancer — using data that’s already being collected but rarely acted on?

The insights from this work are now shaping early-stage tools designed to support clinical decision-making in oncology and aging — especially in resource-limited settings.

  • A clinical decision-support algorithm focused on helping clinicians identify at-risk older adults earlier — using insights drawn from real-world behavior, symptoms, and care patterns. Built on research in oncology and aging, it’s designed for environments where time and resources make comprehensive assessments difficult.