Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
04:46
'Boden Food Plate': Novel Interactive Web-based Method for the Assessment of Dietary Intake
Published on: September 18, 2018
The Effect of Nutritional Mobile Apps on Populations With Cancer: Systematic Review
Krystal Lu Shin Ng1, Murallitharan Munisamy2, Joanne Bee Yin Lim3
1Division of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus, Semenyih, Malaysia.
JMIR Cancer
|February 5, 2025
Summary
Mobile apps show promise for cancer nutrition support, improving outcomes like body composition and quality of life. However, long-term effectiveness requires further investigation through robust trials.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nutrition Science
- Digital Health
Background:
- Limited access to nutrition support hinders quality cancer care.
- Mobile health (mHealth) is increasingly used, raising questions about its validity and impact in healthcare.
- This review addresses the role of mobile applications in cancer nutrition support.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the effectiveness of mobile applications for nutritional interventions in individuals with cancer.
- To evaluate commercial or cancer-specific nutritional mobile apps.
Main Methods:
- A systematic search of CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases was conducted in May 2024.
- Included intervention studies involved cancer patients/survivors and nutrition mobile apps, excluding observational studies and those with concurrent dietary counseling.
- Study quality was assessed using Risk of Bias 2 and Nonrandomized Studies tools, with results synthesized using Cochrane Review Manager.
Main Results:
- Thirteen interventions involving 783 participants (adults/teenagers with cancer) were analyzed.
- Studies predominantly focused on breast cancer (46%), overweight individuals (46%), and survivors (69%).
- Experimental groups using nutrition mobile apps showed greater improvements in body weight/composition, dietary compliance, nutritional status, and quality of life compared to control groups.
Conclusions:
- Mobile apps are utilized for nutrition interventions in cancer care, but long-term efficacy data is limited.
- Further high-quality randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes and standardized outcomes are needed.
- More research is warranted to establish the definitive role of mobile apps in cancer nutrition support.
Related Concept Videos
02:59Cancer Prevention
Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Some...
02:49Cancer Therapies
Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
02:50Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine
Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
02:59Cancer Prevention
Several factors can increase the risk of cancer in an individual. About 50% of cancer cases can be prevented by adopting a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise, eating healthy, and following a modest cancer prevention diet. Epidemiological studies have consistently shown that populations with vegetable and fruit-rich diets have reduced the incidence of cancer. On the other hand, populations who have a diet rich in animal fat, red meat, junk food, or high calories are predisposed to cancer.
Some...
Some...
02:49Cancer Therapies
Cancer therapies are various modes of treatment, such as surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy that are administered to cancer patients.
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
However, cancer treatments can pose several challenges, as therapies used to kill cancer cells are generally also toxic to normal cells. Moreover, cancer cells mutate rapidly and can develop resistance to chemical agents or radiation therapy. Besides, all types of cancer cells may not respond to the same therapy. Some cancer cells respond to one...
01:21Cancer Survival Analysis
Cancer survival analysis focuses on quantifying and interpreting the time from a key starting point, such as diagnosis or the initiation of treatment, to a specific endpoint, such as remission or death. This analysis provides critical insights into treatment effectiveness and factors that influence patient outcomes, helping to shape clinical decisions and guide prognostic evaluations. A cornerstone of oncology research, survival analysis tackles the challenges of skewed, non-normally...