An average of one in eight US women develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime, and it is said to be the second most common cancer in American women. The journey is never easy, but there are many steps you can take to support yourself or a friend with breast cancer.
Being more educated about a health complication, acquiring methods to track it, having the means to get your questions answered, and receiving mental support are all important measures one can take.
There are many apps out there that are specifically designed to serve this purpose. Let's take a look at the best ones available.
1. My Breast Cancer Coach
Image Gallery (3 Images)
Expand
Expand
Expand
My Breast Cancer Coach is one of the best apps out there dedicated to breast cancer and has stellar reviews and ratings. The app functions in partnership with breastcancer.org and has many different features you can access completely free. It may even help you spot cancer early, which is essential in the long run.
Related: Spot Skin Cancer Early With the Miiskin Digital Health Platform
Completely confused and don't know where to begin? The app will fill out a questionnaire and give you a personalized treatment guide along with questions to ask your doctor. You can record your entire journey by updating your in-app journal with photos and audio. If you're told something you can't understand, check out the glossary for definitions of popular terms.
You get personalized information about your breast cancer journey and can get all your questions answered in just a few taps. You have access to videos and can visit patient advocacy websites by the links provided on the app. If you can't keep track of your doctor's appointments and support group meetings, the virtual calendar is just the thing for you.
Download: My Breast Cancer Coach for iOS | Android (Free)
2. Breast Cancer Healthline
Image Gallery (3 Images)
Expand
Expand
Expand
Having a community of people around you going through the same as you is always helpful and uplifting. Breast Cancer Healthline does precisely that. It helps you connect with people around you who have also been diagnosed with breast cancer.
You can either have one-on-one chats with other patients or participate in group discussions. This will allow you to share your journeys, thoughts, and fears and receive adequate advice and support to make your battle easier. It is not just restricted to the physical aspects of breast cancer either, but spans everything in your life that has been consequently affected.
Examples of its support groups include Relationships, Lifestyle, Breast Reconstruction, Career and Cancer, Women Behind the Ribbon, and Escape From Breast Cancer. You can converse about anything from mental, physical, and spiritual growth to help you in your treatment.
Related: Top Mobile Apps for Achieving Spiritual Growth
The app also lets you stay updated with the latest news and research related to breast cancer. You will receive notifications for new messages, who's online, new articles, and much more.
Download: Breast Cancer Healthline for iOS | Android (Free)
3. CaringBridge
Image Gallery (3 Images)
Expand
Expand
Expand
This app allows you to share your journey with family, friends, and other people fighting breast cancer. It serves as a social-media-like platform, where you can post your medical details and updates to let people who care about you know how you're doing.
It is free and lets you sign in with pre-existing email accounts. Once signed in, you can create your own site to serve as a journal and choose from any of three privacy settings.
Customize your site by adding journal entries along with photos and captions, editing them to your liking. You can also connect your GoFundMe to raise funds for your treatment or have people show support to your site.
Connect with a friend's site and view their journal entries to stay updated with how they're faring by receiving regular notifications. You can even share their site to gain support or send them supportive messages to be a part of their journey.
If you're a family member or friend and confused about how to offer help, the app also offers help tools that give you advice on how to show support to the patient and their site.
Download: CaringBridge for iOS | Android (Free)
4. Breast Advocate
Image Gallery (3 Images)
Expand
Expand
Expand
This app focuses on helping you make the best decisions regarding your treatments with verified information from registered cancer specialists and patient advocates. Getting educated about your health predicament tends to put a person at ease.
Enter your personal details and preferences, and the app will give you customized information and treatment options you can further discuss with your doctors. You can even access thousands of medical journals along with abstracts for medical research papers in the Library and add them to your Favorites to view later. If you're someone looking to give support, learn all your terms and phrases and the right way to act here.
Along with a rich source of accurate and research-based information, the app also has a feature where it allows you to connect with other patients who are in the same decision-making process as you are.
Download: Breast Advocate for iOS | Android (Free)
5. BELONG
Image Gallery (3 Images)
Expand
Expand
Expand
If you're looking for support, information, and a means of recording your journey all in one place, this is the app for you. BELONG claims to be the world's most extensive professional and social network for breast cancer patients and has a ton of features you can put to use.
Become a part of the patient community to offer and receive mutual support and experiences with other patients, or chat with doctors and specialists for reliable information and accurate answers to all your questions.
If you want to record your breast cancer journey, you can create a digital binder that will help you organize all your medical documents. This portfolio can then be sent to a friend, family member, someone from the patient community, or a doctor as well. A great way to stay organized, isn't it?
A unique feature this app offers is a tool called a trial matching service that gives you updates about clinical trials taking place worldwide.
Download: BELONG for iOS | Android
Get Easy Support on Your Breast Cancer Journey
Fighting breast cancer requires a lot of strength. Getting informed and finding emotional support is one of the best steps you can take to make your journey a little easier, and these apps are just a few taps away to help you achieve that quickly.
You can communicate with other breast cancer patients, seek medical advice, record your journey, and keep everyone around you up to date with all your landmarks. These apps will also answer all your questions and give you tips on how to support a mutual fighting breast cancer.
#IPhone
