7 Best Apps for Cancer Patients and Caregivers

In the digital age, there seems to be a smartphone app for everything — from ordering coffee to logging your water consumption. Fortunately, tech developers have also designed practical tools for individuals navigating a cancer diagnosis. 

Though these apps by no means replace the professional guidance of a cancer care team, they do connect people with resources and make the journey to recovery slightly less scary. 

With this in mind, the radiation oncologists at SERO have curated a list of the seven best free apps for cancer patients and caregivers.

In the wake of a cancer diagnosis, patients and caregivers are bombarded with medical visits, medication lists, and treatment protocols. Though you could try to stay organized the old-fashioned way with pen and paper, these three apps will make your life much easier.

Keeping up with chemotherapy appointments and new symptoms can be overwhelming. Thankfully, Cancer.Net Mobile, a mobile application from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, can help with that. 

Available on both iOS and Android devices, Cancer.Net Mobile offers trusted, oncologist-approved information on 125 types of cancer. The app also features practical tools, including:

• A symptom tracker that automatically plots the severity, date, and time of your symptoms on an easy-to-read graph
• A question recorder that helps you take notes during medical appointments
• A medication log that allows you to take photos of your medication bottles and note dosages

Forgetting to take your cancer medication — or, worse yet, taking it twice by accident — can have dangerous consequences. To keep yourself safe, download CareZone. 

CareZone, an application available on iOS and Android, helps you organize your health information in a cinch. More specifically, the app allows users to:

• Scan medication bottles to create a detailed list of medications 
• Stay on track with reminders to take a medication or log blood sugar/blood pressure
• Automate pharmacy refills 

When patients begin chemotherapy, many experience mental cloudiness. They may struggle to complete certain tasks, concentrate at work, or remember important dates. This phenomenon is known as “chemo brain.”

Reminders, an app for Apple devices, is the perfect companion for a cancer patient who is suffering from chemo brain. With this application, you can use Siri to create Smart Lists — lists that gather your to-dos based on tags, dates, times, locations, and flags. 

Reminders is also helpful for caregivers, especially those juggling a full-time job. Using the collaborate feature, you can easily lighten your load by assigning certain tasks to friends and family. If, for example, you have a work meeting the same day as your father’s radiotherapy treatment, you can assign transportation to your sibling. 

No one should have to endure cancer alone. With this in mind, tech creatives have developed a host of tools that allow cancer patients and caregivers to connect with friends, family, and even strangers. These two apps are sure to help you feel less alone.   

Fighting cancer without a support system can be exhausting. That’s why the founders of BELONG — Beating Cancer Together rolled out their free and anonymous software.

This application is the world’s largest social and professional network for cancer patients. Users on both iOS and Android devices can chat directly with world-renowned oncologists and clinical researchers. You can also join support groups for patients and caregivers based on cancer type.

Available for Apple devices, LivingWith: Cancer Support helps individuals connect with their community. Using the app, you can search for advocacy events based on location and cancer type. 

You can also build a private circle of support. After inviting your friends and family to join the app, you can share important medical appointments and test results. Plus, you can request assistance with tasks like grocery shopping or cooking. 

Though designed for patients, LivingWith: Cancer Support can be used by caregivers as well. Rather than text all of your siblings individually, you can send a single update regarding your mother’s health on the app.

Many oncology patients experience anxiety and depression as they undergo treatment. Caregivers often struggle with their mental health as well. Fortunately, there are apps that can help you find peace. 

The Create to Heal app is a tool for cancer patients, survivors, and their families. The goal of the app, which is available for Apple devices, is to “gently take you from your head to your heart, where the healing process begins.” More specifically, Create to Heal features:

• 10 music tracks
• Four guided meditations
• 36 pieces of art
• More than 60 inspirational messages 

Though this app is no replacement for speaking with a mental health professional, it has been tested in several hospitals and cancer centers over a five-year period. 

Developed by Anxiety Canada, an anxiety awareness nonprofit organization, MindShift teaches users to reframe their anxious thoughts and make lasting behavioral changes. Tools like breathing exercises, thought journals, and guided medications incorporate cognitive behavioral therapy techniques. The app offers peer-to-peer community forums as well. 

MindShift is perfect for combating insomnia, which is fairly common among cancer patients. It’s also a great remedy for pre-treatment anxiety. Rather than spend 15 minutes in the waiting room worrying about your radiotherapy appointment, you can put in headphones and complete a quick meditation. Or, you can journal about your thoughts and feelings.

Another popular app is GoodRx, which helps you find the best prices and coupons on leading medications. The app is free to use. Simply show the GoodRx coupon (which you can access via the app) to a pharmacist when you drop of your prescription to be filled.

At SERO, we understand that the journey to recovery is not easy. That’s why our 30-plus board-certified cancer doctors in Charlotte, also known as radiation oncologists are here to help you navigate cancer treatment.

We are available when you have a question about the side effects of radiotherapy, what to eat to stay healthy, and everything in between. We also know that cancer doesn’t just affect the patient. With this in mind, we have compiled resources for caregivers as well.  

To learn more about how SERO can support you and your family, call us at 704-333-7376.