World Cancer Day: Here are some early detection apps

World Cancer Day marks its 10-year anniversary today with a huge focus on every single person around the world helping to raise awareness. A lot of emphasis has been put on early detection and there are many drives around the world encouraging people to get screened for cancer early on.

The world of cancer diagnosis and treatment is changing rapidly. According to a 2012 survey from the Pew Research Internet Project, around 35% of US adults say they have used online resources – including health apps – to diagnose a medical condition.

Part of the fight against cancer has been the role technology can play in detecting early cancer symptoms so we have collected some of the latest mobile apps available to detect different kinds of cancer using your tablet or smartphone. Here are five of the most popular.

It’s important to note that these apps and information included in them are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Skinvision

Skinvision is an app designed to detect changes to your skin as early as possible and take action. The device works in three easy steps; you hold the device over a spot on your skin and take a picture. The app will analyse the spot in an instant and give you a recommendation. You then archive your picture, keep track of changes over time and share it with your doctor. The app is a free to download with a one month trial. You get one free month to analyse the moles on your skin for skin cancer or melanoma risk, unlimited personal archive to check your skin’s health over time and assessment of skin type and risk profile to develop melanoma.

Download it here.

Early Detection Plan

The National Breast Cancer Foundation in the US released an app called Early Detection Plan (EDP), which enables you to be proactive about your health by reminding you to perform routine breast self-exams and to schedule clinical breast exams and mammograms, depending on your age and health history. This app also contains information about clinical breast exams, mammograms, risk factors, signs and symptoms, and how to perform a breast self-exam. Although a great information source, many bugs have marred its success. Their latest version has fixed minor bugs though so it is still worth a try.

Download it here.

Lungscreen

Lung cancer is one of the most common and deadliest of cancers worldwide. The cancer has increasingly become a risk to women and young people. This app analyses your lifestyle choices and within minutes lets you know if you have increased your risk of lung cancer. It will also aid during the initial steps in early detection of a possible disease. The application was designed by specialists in the field to offer the user with a quite accurate health projection. Answer a few questions anonymously, and the result, which is kept private, will help you decide whether you need to seek specialist attention. Although it isn’t infallible, it allows you to make the necessary choices from the results.

Download it here.

Cancer Therapy Advisor

Nowadays it’s not difficult to imagine having your own healthcare professional at your fingertips. This app is designed for healthcare professionals and patients who want to stay up-to-date and learn about the latest news and trends in oncology. The app also includes medical calculators, such as the Lean Body Weight Calculator. Although useful, the language is quite clinical so it might not be the best for the everyday user but perfect if you want to share and discuss info with your health practitioner.

Download it here.

Cancer Spotter

This free app aims to encourage earlier diagnosis by enabling people to recognise the signs and symptoms of cancer and encouraging people to seek advice from their doctor as soon as possible. It’s designed for everyday users to tap on a part of the human body to reveal the key signs and symptoms of cancer. When one taps on the symptoms, they reveal further details, including how to reduce the risk of cancer.

Download it here.