A study of smartphone apps now on the market, apps supposedly designed to assist the common person in preventing or dealing with cancer, along with helping them to become educated, is showing that "… information alone is insufficient to change behavior, particularly complex behavior."
Also, "… almost half of the apps targeted breast cancer … other common cancers, including
prostate lung and colon were underrepresented among apps."
As for what these apps do, "… apps can track the patient's health information, and provide remote monitoring of systems. Or, they can make use of games to motivate people to switch to healthier lifestyles."
Of particular interest: "… the apps reviewed in the study didn't fully take advantage of the smartphone's social networking capabilities, the researchers said. Only three apps let users connect with other people to exchange information and support."
The article also points out the potentially serious problems of patients attempting self-diagnoses using only images on a smartphone to do so [using a melanoma example]."
www.livescience.com/43232-do-cancer-apps-work.html