Cancer-Focused Apps: The Promise and Challenges

This entry was written in collaboration with Malwina Tuman, M.A.

Technological advancement in the field of mobile computing and popularization of software, such as mobile applications (apps), have revolutionized health care. With 250,000 mobile applications for health available today, there is something for nearly everyone, including individuals seeking app-assisted cancer care. People seeking information on cancer prevention, patients in treatment, and cancer survivors have been turning to apps in search of answers, to have their concerns addressed, and to obtain support—all at one’s finger tips.

Even though they are engaging and offer appealing features, such as social networking and audio and video and capabilities, relatively little is known about the risks and efficacy, as well as data security and protection, of these mobile tools for cancer-related health. Considerable research efforts are now underway to better understand how to make cancer apps better and safer; however, recent studies show that apps addressing issues surrounding cancer have a long way to go to realize their full potential. For example, one study showed that among hundreds of cancer-related apps available for promotion of behavior change, all lacked evidence on their utility, effectiveness, and safety.¹ Unsurprisingly perhaps, oncology care providers express some apprehension toward cancer apps, citing legal uncertainty regarding medical responsibility, managing commercial interests, and concerns about insecure data transfer and storage.² Similarly, patients surveyed about app-assisted cancer care expressed that data use, transfer, and security were among their reasons for hesitancy.³

How to best find quality cancer apps among the plethora of commercially available products? One approach is to seek relevant resources and app recommendations by consulting websites of recognized organizations and institutions devoted to preventing and treating cancer, and offering cancer support, such as the National Cancer Institute, the American Cancer Society, or Livestrong. For example, MD Anderson Cancer Center provides a list of cancer prevention apps, organized into several health-related categories, such as “Exercise Apps,” “Nutrition Apps,” or “Quit Smoking Apps.”⁴

For instance, Lose It is a nutrition and exercise-focused app for creating a personalized calorie-intake goal and weight loss plan. Features such as tracking food and water intake, recording physical activity, and sleep as well as biometric measurements, such as blood pressure and glucose levels, allow users to seamlessly integrate multiple sources of health data and monitor progress toward their overall weight loss goals. The food tracking options the app offers are particularly impressive. Users can search over seven million foods and restaurant items for instantaneous information on their nutritional value. Furthermore, users can scan barcodes of products and upload their nutritional information to the app. While some of the features Lose It offers are free, obtaining access to others requires purchasing the premium version.

Another app, MyQuit Coach, was developed to provide support for smokers who are trying to quit, either cold turkey or by decreasing cigarette intake gradually. The app offers features such as monitoring smoking cessation progress, recording cravings to better understand one’s vulnerabilities, and tracking how cigarette intake and urges to smoke decrease over time. Additionally, the app allows users to create personalized motivational statements to remind them why they embarked on the challenge of quitting smoking and help them persevere through difficult times. Finally, social networking capabilities allow users to reach out to and offer encouragement to one another during difficult times.

A comprehensive app to help lead patients through their cancer journey from the time of diagnosis through treatment and into survivorship is Cancer.Net. Developed by oncologists who are members of American Society of Clinical Oncology, Cancer.Net provides guidance on over 120 types of cancer, including information on diagnosis, treatment options, managing side effects, symptom tracking, as well as emotional coping. The app also offers links to videos, podcasts, and blog posts.

A number of apps are dedicated to meeting more narrowly-defined needs. For example, an app developed by Stupid Cancer, a cancer advocacy organization, seeks to empower, support, and improve health outcomes among the young adult cancer community. It does so by addressing the specific challenges young people face and building a community of peers that can offer support to one another.

Overall, cancer-focused apps could expand the repertoire of choices for self-directed management of issues surrounding cancer, but today, caution needs to be exercised while selecting an app. Perhaps, with more research, within the next decade or so, one will be able to peruse the app store confident that the product they select is not only abundant in visually appealing and useful-appearing features, but also safe and effective.