Oncologists already tell their patients about Cancer.Net-the ASCO website that offers reliable information about more than 120 types of cancer, plus helpful guides for aspects such as caregiving, survivorship, and coping.

Now patients and survivors-and their families and caregivers-can have valuable resources from Cancer.Net at their fingertips, no matter where they are. ASCO has created an application specifically for iPhones, iPads, and iPods-the market leaders among smartphones, tablet computers, and portable media players that use apps.

ASCO research found that mobile phone apps related specifically to cancer are few and far between. "We wanted to create a mobile app that is robust and easy to use-a tool that will be the go-to cancer resource, having the credibility of ASCO behind it," says Diane Blum, MSW, Cancer.Net Editor-in-Chief. With this objective, ASCO developed the new Cancer.Net iPhone app being launched soon.

What's Special about the New App?

The Cancer.Net iPhone app has five main functional areas. "Although it draws on Cancer.Net for updated information, it's not just a portable version of Cancer.Net," according to Ms. Blum. "The best apps are organized around a clear, simple purpose and have features to accomplish specific tasks," she explains.

These are the app's five main groups of functions:

• Info-Users can select information about specific cancer types, including medical illustrations and terminology, sections from Cancer.Net for newly diagnosed patients, and sections on topics such as coping and survivorship. Also available are feature articles delivered every Monday on a range of topic areas, including screening and prevention, quality of life, and family and friends.
• Questions-This interactive utility lets users store questions to ask the doctor. They can type in their own questions or browse through a list of suggested questions. They also can record the answers using audio.
• Medicines-With this photo-based tool, patients can store details they want to remember about their medicine, such as dosages, and even store pictures of their medicine. A template makes it easy to add drug information, and users can e-mail themselves photos or other information to include.
• Symptoms-Patients can record symptoms and their severity as they occur, rather than having to remember to jot them down after they get home. The incorporated clock and calendar helps in tracking symptoms for easy reference at the next doctor's visit.
• Multimedia-This feature allows the patient to use the iPhone's built-in media controls to play videos and podcasts available regularly from Cancer.Net. The app automatically checks for new content and alerts the user when items are available-a function similar to a notification of new e-mail.

Spread the Word

ASCO urges oncologists, nurses, and patient advocates to become familiar with the new iPhone app themselves and let patients and caregivers know about it. "The new app has the same important features as Cancer.Net-it is oncologist-approved, comprehensive, and patient-centered," Ms. Blum points out.

ASCO is launching this new tool at an ideal time, as people are increasingly using mobile platforms for personal health information. Just as the number of visits to the Cancer.Net website has grown significantly-nearly 20% from 2009-2010 alone-the number of users of this application is likely to grow considerably as people learn that ASCO is behind the new app. "ASCO is a key leader in cancer patient education," Ms. Blum comments. "With this new app, our goal is make authoritative cancer information available wherever patients are."■

© 2011. American Society of Clinical Oncology. All rights reserved.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story indicated the Cancer.Net iPhone app would be available in February 2011. The app is expected to be released in March 2011. The text has been revised to reflect that the Cancer.Net iPhone app will be available soon.