In the UK, cancer diagnoses among young adults in their late teens to early thirties are on the rise, with 24 individuals receiving a diagnosis every day. Cancer Research UK reports a 22% increase in incidence rates for the 0-24 age group since the early 2000s. Despite this surge, tailored wellbeing support for this age group remains scarce.

This collaboration aims to bridge that gap. Through Careology's patient-facing app, individuals aged 18-30 will have access to personalised content designed to enhance their wellbeing. The app also offers features such as symptom and side effect monitoring, medication schedules, tracking tools, journaling, and informative articles to aid in self-managing treatment at home.

The initiative will initially launch with The Royal Marsden, a centre for teenagers and young adults with cancer. Clinicians will have the ability to monitor patient data entered into the app, allowing them to intervene promptly if severe symptoms, like nausea, arise, thereby preventing complications.

Paul Landau, CEO of Careology, says: “Any cancer diagnosis is especially daunting for young people with lots to learn and remember, and keep on top of, with a schedule of seemingly endless appointments to attend. At Careology, we want to make sure everyone on the app feels better connected and has access to the right information at the right time for them. Bringing the Ella Dawson Foundation’s content onto the app means that we can help even more young people living and dealing with cancer.”

Alongside Careology’s content from Macmillan, Cancer Research UK, Maggie’s and the NHS, younger people will be able to read Ella Dawson Foundation content about managing their mental health, finding like-minded friends online, exercise and much more. 

Natasha Dawson, founder of the Ella Dawson Foundation, says: “Through the two years of my sister, Ella’s treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia she saw the vital importance of wellbeing support, however found this rarely available and difficult to access. To be able to provide dedicated wellbeing support to young adults living with and beyond cancer is a huge driver for me and the Ella Dawson Foundation.

“By working with Careology and making our content for younger people available through its patient app, we will be able to reach more people who need us as they navigate their diagnosis and treatment. This age range has a unique set of needs in order to feel, move, eat and live well, through and beyond cancer. We, like Careology, want to make sure we reach every single person who could benefit from our support.”

Careology’s app and holistic support from the Ella Dawson Foundation run in tandem with a person’s clinical treatment. By using the Caregiver feature, users will be able to share updates with friends and family about how they feel each day.

Amy Chilton, who was 23 when she was treated at the Royal Marsden, says: “Navigating appointments and managing symptoms can be overwhelming during such a challenging time, and Careology is an incredibly valuable tool for patients. While the support I received during treatment was exceptional, I found it really hard to find normality again once my treatment ended. Fortunately, I came across the Ella Dawson Foundation, which helped me regain my fitness and health through a variety of personal training sessions, yoga classes, and nutrition plans. Having an app like Careology to guide patients to information, support, and organisations such as the Ella Dawson Foundation, both during and after treatment, is an amazing idea. It makes these resources accessible to everyone and takes a lot of pressure off patients.”