Let's make cancer easier-ish!

As we grow older, we begin to confront the inevitability of death. I remember when I was young, it was rare for people in my circle to pass away. Fast forward 30 years, news of an acquaintance, or someone significant to my family or friends, passing away has become a recurring event. Many of these deaths are attributed to cancer or complications related to this disease.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer, in its general conception, is the #1 cause of deaths worldwide. In 2020 alone, 10 million people died from this condition (source), and in 2022, more than 20 million people were diagnosed (source). In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, the probability of a person being diagnosed with cancer at some point in their life is 39.6% for women and 41.6% for men (source).

These figures will likely continue to grow as technology for early diagnosis continues to advance. At the same time, treatments are also advancing, and more people will be able to overcome this disease. However, what truly impresses me about these figures is how high they are compared to the awareness and education on this topic among people who do not have a medical profession (like me).

To put this into perspective, I want to use the following example: Dying in a traffic accident in the United States has a probability of 1 in 93 or 1.08% (source). While this is not a direct comparison, as not all people who have cancer die, what seems relevant to highlight is, how much road safety education do we receive throughout our lives? And how much education related to the prevention and treatment of cancer, which is an event with a much higher probability in our lives, do we receive? Now I understand why World Cancer Day exists.

We have all seen what a cancer diagnosis causes to people, their families, and their social circles. Undoubtedly, it is a very strong existential situation for all involved who must not only continue with their lives but also take care of the treatment, appointments, medications, side effects, the feeling of desolation, the ups and downs of the disease, the good news that last, the ones that don’t last, and the bad news that stay forever. It’s an experience that nobody wants to live.

One of the most interesting projects we have on the radar this year is a research project we are doing with a cancer clinic in Medellín, Colombia, where we are looking to understand how we can make the process of diagnosis, treatment, side effects, and the consequences they carry, an easier experience to bear. We can’t make it less painful, we can’t make it less existential, but we can make it simpler, more informed, and less lonely. At least those are our hypotheses. Some things we want to explore during this process are:

? How to understand what the diagnosis and statistics are?

? How to understand what my treatment is, why this plan was prescribed to me, and how the medications I must take or receive work?

? How can I seek a second opinion? Who is someone suitable to give it? What information should I have at hand?

? What are the known side effects of the treatment, what are practical solutions for these, and when should I consult with my doctor about them?

? How can I keep morale high during cancer treatment?

? How do I stay up to date with my periodic reviews if my treatment is effective?

? How do families should prepare for a potential terminal diagnosis?

Obviously, there are online resources for many of these questions, but we have not yet seen an example of a set of resources that have a great experience design, and that is exactly what we want to focus on with this project. It’s not about the technology, it’s not about doing something sophisticated, it’s not about creating everything from scratch. It’s about how to integrate the knowledge and tools that already exist to have an “assistant” for the patient and their families during the disease cycle.

That is our challenge, we are excited to face it, and in the future, we will publish more about our findings and our ideas. If you would like to be part of this research in some way, please contact me and we will be happy to include your experiences in our work.