If you have had any type of cancer in the past, you are probably concerned about staying on top of the treatments that are recommended by your doctor. You are probably also concerned about making sure that any warning signs that the cancer has come back are noticed and taken seriously right away to prevent the cancer from spreading. For that reason, you probably use preventive imaging techniques to periodically scan for signs that the cancer has returned.
If so, you might be interested in a new online reporting system that has been shown to be beneficial for cancer patients. Basically it's a system that allows cancer patients to update their doctors about symptoms and problems from the convenient location of their own home. Often what happens with patients nowadays is that they will experience symptoms for a few days but then forget about them before their next doctor's appointment. The online reporting system lets you sign in at any time to report problems as they arise. This allows your doctor to pay closer attention to what's going on with you and to let you know if a scan for the return of cancer is in order.
The study specifically tested lung cancer patients who were receiving outpatient chemotherapy treatments. However it can be applied to a broader group of patients in the future. As more and more information is transmitted through the Internet, this "real time" self-reporting could be a way for patients to communicate more effectively with their doctors. By detecting symptoms early on, you can make important scanning appointments early and catch problems before they spread.
Learn more about the study here.
Question of the Day: What concerns would you have about online self-reporting of your symptoms?
