Cancer Cure News 2017: Cancer App Can Help Improve Patients' Outcome
A cancer diagnosis can be the most devastating and disorienting experience for anyone. Aside from the physiological aspect of the disease, there's also the psychological toll on a patient.
In addition to dealing with their new reality, patients often find it hard to keep track of everything. Things like medications, doctor's appointments, and keeping family and friends informed are often hard to manage which is why a slew of cancer apps have slowly made their way to smartphones, but do they work?
According to one doctor, they do. In an interview with CBS2, Dr. Max Gomez reports that cancer apps can actually improve a patient's outcome.
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Cancer can cause depression and anxiety causing patients to compromise their ability to organize. Additionally, chemotherapy and radiation often bring side effects can impair their thinking among others. These apps seek to remedy these improving the patient's quality of life as well as the effectiveness of treatment.
One such app is Living With which just launched with a splash in Times Square. The app serves as a digital assistant to patients helping them keep up with the daunting task of keeping up with their all-important support system.
Cynthia Lalaran, who was diagnosed with triple positive breast cancer two years ago, said that the hardest part to manage was logistics and scheduling and the number of appointments. But after learning the ins and outs of Living With, she's slowly becoming more organized equipped with all the information she needs when she goes to see her doctor.
Living With isn't the only cancer app out there. There are also a number of similar highly-rated apps available on the App Store and the best part is most of them are free.
According to Dr. Gomez, one thing to look for in these apps is the ability to track their emotional state, like anxiety, pain, depression, even anger and denial. These can make a difference when they let their doctors know about these, Dr. Gomez said.
