Metastasierender Brustkrebs: „Wie Ärztin in Handtasche“ – App für Brustkrebspatientinnen

A new app named "ida care" is being tested in a study conducted by researchers at the Berlin Charité and the German Cancer Society. The study, published in the medical journal JAMA Oncology, evaluates the app's ability to improve the quality of life for breast cancer patients with metastatic disease. The "PRO B" project, which stands for Patient Reported Outcomes in Breast Cancer, uses the app to ask patients a series of structured questions about their symptoms, daily life, and emotional state once a week for up to 52 weeks.

An algorithm analyzes the responses and alerts the treatment team to any significant changes, which they then contact the patient within 48 hours to discuss any necessary actions. The app aims to provide continuous monitoring and evaluation of symptoms, ensuring that the medical treatment team is aware of any changes without the patient having to be physically present.

Patients reported that using the app felt like having an "on call physician in their handbag," according to study leader Maria Karsten. The study involved 909 women between the ages of 19 and 81, half of whom received the PRO-B treatment alongside their standard medication therapy. The results showed a significant improvement in symptoms such as fatigue, physical, emotional, or mental exhaustion that can greatly impact a patient's daily life.

The Charité estimates there are around 68,000 women in Germany living with metastatic breast cancer, a stage where the disease is no longer curable but can still be managed to prolong life expectancy by several years. The study is currently being rolled out in the last quarter of the year and has the support of major health insurance providers.