CANCERLIFE ANNOUNCES LEADING NEUROECONOMIST DR. PAUL ZAK JOINS TEAM AS SENIOR SCIENTIFIC ADVISOR

INTRO

Paul Zak, PhD – Scientist. Author. Speaker. CancerLife’s Chief Scientific Advisor Paul Zak is on a lifetime mission to better understand and improve human connections. He is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies and Professor of Economics, Psychology and Management at Claremont Graduate University.  He has launched numerous companies and has authored two acclaimed books.Paul’s research on oxytocin and relationships has earned him the nickname “Dr. Love.” His 2012 book, The Moral Molecule: The Source of Love and Prosperity, recounted his unlikely discovery of the neurochemical oxytocin as the key driver of trust, love, and morality.

As a member of CancerLife’s Scientific Advisory Board, Paul’s research and knowledge are being used to help patients, survivors, and doctors understand and develop more meaningful relationships and improve their cancer care. 

Part 1: Paul Zak & CancerLife: Question: Why have you taken on the role as Chief Scientific Advisor to CancerLife?

Paul:  I was excited by how my 20 years of human connection research could be applied to healthcare, specifically for cancer care. I lost my mother to leukemia, so cancer really hits home.

Here’s what’s so exciting. Not only do healthy adults need human connection and the benefit of human connection, chronically ill patients need and desire the connection that will improve and extend their lives. 

The work I do is often in a laboratory. I don’t get to save lives very often. I think CancerLife has the opportunity to save lives. To have an impact on even a few people’s lives and reduce their suffering and improve their quality of life is wonderful. I can’t think of a more important thing to do. I’m thrilled to help CancerLife help members of the human community live happier, healthier lives.

Question: Can patients and survivors play a bigger role in cancer care?

Paul: Perhaps the most misunderstood and under-valued component of cancer care is the role that human connection plays among patients and survivors. Humans need to connect. When we are isolated, we are not as calm and happy as we could be. When we are connected, we are calmer and happier. There are many things patients and survivors can do to become more proactive in their care. We just need to show them how, and I believe CancerLife can be their guide.

Question: What is your vision for CancerLife?

Paul: Charlie and his team understand that the more social support patients get, the better their outcomes:  The more you share, the better your care. The goal is to continue to build something beyond just “another social network,” something more clinical in nature that lowers stress anxiety and depression through its design and user experience.

My laboratory will be at their disposal to test, measure, and design content and the user experience to clinically prove CancerLife improves outcomes. We will measure everything, so we can create a more trustworthy environment and experience that no cancer patient can live without, literally. I get good bumps thinking about being part of a something that can impact 23 million people each year, around the globe. (Continued Discussion in Part 2 and 3 of the Interview)

CANCERLIFE ANNOUNCES APPROVAL OF QOL STUDY @ JOHN WAYNE CANCER INSTITUTE.

Philadelphia, PA  and Santa Monica, CA – April 6th, 2018

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CancerLife and Quality of Life specialist, Marlon Saria, PhD, announces a pioneering a Quality of Life Research Study focused on cancer patients and survivors. This study is a follow-up to the validation study conducted this past summer, which proved that patients can collect their own data inside the CancerLife App.  

Study highlights included:

  1. 88% of participant users stated that CancerLife improved their Quality of Life
  2. 100% stated that CancerLife was easy-to use
  3. 5.8 Average Journal Updates/Per Week !
  4. 3.7 Social Shares/Per Week!

“Users love CancerLife and are engaging on the platform almost everyday!” said founder Charlie Coltman. “Now its time to show it can improve Quality of Life which is the first step in lowering costs and increasing quality in Cancer Care.”

The Quality of Life Clinical Trial: Its Goal

A pioneering, real world evidence (RWE) Quality of LIfe Clinical Trial, conducted by the John Wayne Cancer Institute (A member of the Providence Health System) and CancerLife, was recently approved.  The goal of the blind, randomized trial is to validate if CancerLife can improve patients, survivors, and caregivers quality of life and become the first “complimentary digital therapeutic” in cancer care.

Additionally, the trial will provide deep insights into how social support, Patient Reported Outcome (PRO) symptom data collection and other factors can impact patient outcomes.

The study piggybacks on mounting research evidence (including prior research with Sloan Kettering) which indicates that patients’ quality of life may improve (by up to 18%) when patients share their moods (and get social support from family, friends and fellow patient)… and share their symptom data with care teams.

The Quality of Life Clinical Trial: Defined

Approximately 300 participants (those with a past diagnosis of cancer ) will be recruited to participate in the study. Participants will use the CancerLife App for social sharing purposes and to collect PRO symptom data. Participants will take a series Quality of Life surveys, which will be tracked and monitored over a five-month period.  

Additionally, IBM Watson AI technology will analyze social sharing data and conversations using its proprietary machine learning and natural language processing algorithms. IBM Watson will help uncover key insights into participants cancer journeys. 

CancerLife’s Commitment to the World

Understanding the correlation and implications on how social sharing and tracking symptom data affects patients Quality of Life has breakthrough potential as it may help doctors better understand how the next wave of cancer drugs will impact patients’ quality of life.

CancerLife is deeply committed to helping patients, survivors, and caregivers–around the world–experience a better quality of life. With that said, CancerLife’s goal is committed to becoming the world’s first cancer care complimentary digital therapeutic.

Recruitment Partners: Want to Join the Quality of Life Crusade?. 

If you are is interested joining the crusade and participating, please contact CancerLife to learn more now.