PROSE care cancer app

Cancer treatment is usually associated with side effects that are directly linked to poor quality of life,
high morbidity and death. Majority of patients experience preventable side effects during treatment
such as nausea, fever, vomiting, infections and low blood levels. About 80% of cancer patients require
chemotherapy and radiotherapy at some point in their care plan, of which about 70% will experience

side effects. These side-effects range from mild to severe and may lead to abandonment of treatment,
life threatening complications and sometimes preventable death.
Side effects are typically under-reported by patients and consequently sub-optimally managed.
Traditionally, reporting of side effects is physician-driven and occurs during face-to-face encounters at
clinic appointments. The majority of cancer patients are unable to access their physician during non-
clinic hours and weekends when experiencing side effects leading to poor treatment outcomes and
other eventual complications and preventable deaths.
The PROSE tool is a digital health research initiative that aims to bridge this gap to allow real-time
reporting of side effects and rapid intervention.

The PROSE tool will enable real-time reporting of side effects patients, and response and management of same side effects by clinicians as such, saving time, money and increased unsafe self medication and hospital visits. 

The web application app (www.prosecare.com) will allow cancer patient register and have a account, fill in their demographics and cancer type. They will report symptoms/side effect of the treatment they are receiving depending on the cancer type and will be provided with solutions immediately. In cases of severe symptoms, they will have an access to an health care provider who talks them through their symptom/side effect and manage accordingly. 

The target population will be women undergoing treatment for breast and cervical cancer. This are the 2 major female malignancies globally with the figures increasing in low and middle income countries like Nigeria. 

These affected women are barely paid attention to especially in an environment where the voices of the female gender is less heard. Late presentation is already an existing challenge to treatment of cancer for which the few that present and are on treatment might be discouraged from the inevitable side effects that comes with the treatment.

Oncopadi Technologies Ltd is designed to proffer clinical solutions using digital health media. Since its incorporation in 2017, it has gone ahead to secure varying solutions ranging from providing laboratory investigations and review of result in comfort of client's homes to providing virtual oncology consultations to cancer patients. 

The birth of the the PROSE tool arise from a focused group discussions with health care providers and cancer patients where side effects of cancer treatment was highlighted as a major factor that discourages cancer patients from their continued care. Our current initiative is to reach out to as much cancer patient as possible to change this myth that cancer treatment may cut down their life span.

The PROSE tool currently caters for patients undergoing radiotherapy only. We believe that with the availability of sufficient funds, we can expand to other areas of cancer treatment including surgery and chemotherapy.