Best Apps for Managing Your Breast Cancer
Your phone is loaded with apps for finding the nearest gas station, keeping tabs on your kid’s soccer schedule, and locating an Uber to the airport. But should you trust an app to manage your breast cancer? Short answer: Yes. Downloading one can help you organize your treatment and ease the stress that accompanies diagnosis, according to a study at the University of Amsterdam, something that your doctor should support. “Your doctor should be positive about you taking the initiative with your health,” says lead author Chiara Jongerius. The big question: Which app to use?
Part of it depends on your needs: Are you looking for logistical help scheduling appointments? Reminders on when to take your meds? Do you want alerts for the latest news on HER2 or EGFR? "Technology can be extra helpful for understanding complex topics," says Michael Sabel, M.D., a surgical oncologist at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor who developed a treatment-managing app for his patients. Once you’ve identified areas that you want help with, check out these expert-approved picks, available for iOS and Android.
The app: MBC Connect
What it is: An interactive patient registry for those with metastatic breast cancer, the app offers up-to-date treatment info, links to the latest clinical trials, and opportunities to connect with other MBC people.
How it helps: A study in the New England Journal of Medicine found that women with MBC who joined a support group were less depressed and experienced less pain than those who didn’t.
What it costs: Free
The app: Breast Advocate
What it is: Answer a series of questions about your cancer type and stage, and an algorithm developed by a panel of oncology experts will suggest a path forward for treatment.
How it helps: Deciding on surgical procedures and treatments can feel overwhelming, but this app narrows down options to discuss with your doctor, based on the latest medical research. In fact, you can access thousands of recent breast cancer studies via the app.
What it costs: Free
The app: Breast Cancer Recovery
What it is: If you’re getting over surgery or going through chemo, this app will create an exercise plan for you based on your fitness level, fatigue, and side effects of treatment.
How it helps: Staying fit can help you cope with cancer complications, but chemo can make working out a challenge. A recent study from University College London found that cancer patients benefit from workouts created specifically for exercising during recovery.
What it costs: $35
The app: ChemoWave
What it is: This app reminds you when to take your meds and lets you record how you feel, providing doctors with important insight on how your treatment is affecting your wellness.
How it helps: Your care team is constantly asking: How did you feel yesterday? How about the day before? Did this drug make you feel ill? Heck if you can remember all that with chemo brain! This app takes care of a foggy mind, making life easier for you and your doc.
What it costs: Free
The app: My Cancer Coach
What it is: Created in partnership with Breastcancer.org, this app helps you manage treatment, suggests questions to ask your doc, offers a glossary of terms, and has a calendar to keep track of appointments.
How it helps: Cancer is confusing. Why wait until your next appointment to sort things out? If you can't answer your question with this app, you can link to one of several patient advocacy sites for more info.
What it costs: Free
The app: CancerCare Meditation
What it is: Over 100 hours of guided meditation and soothing music geared towards those going through cancer treatment.
How it helps: Meditation can improve treatment outcomes. Breast cancer patients who meditated were better able to maintain their telomere length (a marker for treatment success) than the control group, according to a study in the journal Cancer.
What it costs: Free, iOS only
The app: CaringBridge
What it is: Share your story and updates on your treatment with family and friends via this platform that can also serves as a fundraiser for covering your care.
How it helps: Not everyone wants to post personal medical info on public forums or group chats. This private, secure app lets you choose who to connect with and what to share about your breast cancer journey.
What it costs: Free
The app: CareZone
What it is: Snap a photo of your pill bottle and this app instantly pulls info from the label to create a list of the breast cancer drugs you’re taking, dosage, and other prescription details.
How it helps: What was that med your doc gave you again? How much do you take? When you’re going through breast cancer treatment, keeping your arsenal of drugs straight is no easy feat. This fixes that.
What it costs: Free
