Quantified (self)management for people with post-cancer fatigue
This project, carried out by the Netherlands Cancer Institute Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam UMC and Healthy Chronos in collaboration with Stichting Jongeren en Kanker and Onconet, focuses on addressing fatigue in cancer, a serious problem affecting 1 in 3 people with cancer. The fatigue that arises as a result of cancer and its treatment can be long-lasting and severe, significantly impacting the quality of life.
The goal of this project is to develop an innovative solution to help people with cancer manage fatigue. Firstly, we aim to identify digital biomarkers, measurable data from patients' daily lives, to accurately capture physical load and adaptive capacity, a crucial outcome in post-cancer fatigue. Secondly, we will develop a user-friendly mobile application allowing people with cancer to track their physical activity, cancer-related symptoms (such as pain or fatigue), and daily activities. This assists them in planning their daily activities and managing fatigue. Based on many conversations with people with cancer, we have identified young individuals with cancer as the ideal first users of our solution.
Additionally, we intend to create a specialized dashboard for physical therapists, enabling them to remotely monitor and support the progress of their patients. This way, we can better support people with cancer and fatigue at home during their recovery.
This project is of significant societal importance as it can improve the quality of life and reduce the financial burden of fatigue. Furthermore, it contributes to scientific knowledge on how data from the living environment can aid in cancer recovery.
The project actively involves young people with cancer and physical therapists specialized in cancer recovery in the development process to ensure that the solution truly meets the needs of the end-users.
