Rome, 22 April (beraking latest news Health) – Anxiety, depression, feelings of guilt, non-acceptance: the diagnosis of cancer and all that follows can have numerous psychological repercussions on the patient and family members, which make it even more difficult to deal with the disease. For this reason it is essential that patients and their caregivers can count on psychological oncological support during the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up process. To respond to the needs of patients and give them initial support, Pfizer, with the patronage of the Italian Society of Psycho-Oncology (Sipo), launches the ‘More on the tumor’ service, free for Amazon Alexa, which can be used with smart speaker or from a mobile App and which offers information and insights on the psychological management of the different stages of the disease.
From the processing of the disease to the return to everyday life, passing through the management of emotions and interpersonal relationships, ‘More on the tumor’ offers patients and caregivers a series of contents narrated by Alexa, easily accessible via voice commands, integrated by four podcasts that they offer the listener different approaches to managing emotions related to illness. The application was created in collaboration with Dr. Gabriella De Benedetta, psychologist and psychotherapist of the Oncological Hematology Unit, National Cancer Institute Irccs Pascale Foundation of Naples, who also gave voice to the podcasts.
“The oncological pathology can give rise to completely new thoughts and emotions, which the patient himself may not recognize as his own, has difficulty managing and causes discomfort – explains De Benedetta – If you have a fever, you take a drug that makes it go down, even if it is known that it is caused by an infection: in the same way, it is important to treat the psychological malaise, which we know is caused by the tumor. I believe that psychological support is essential even in phases considered ordinary, such as the beginning of the diagnostic process , a very delicate phase for the patient but which is often underestimated “.
In this sense, continues the expert, “‘More about cancer’ can be very important because it gives many people the opportunity to have some answers to general questions on how to deal with the disease, but also to receive numerous food for thought that can help to bring about a change. But above all, it can make the idea of contacting a psychologist thinkable and become a stimulus to seek a more specific intervention “.
Despite the usefulness of psychological oncological support to reduce stress and increase perceived well-being, there are few patients with cancer who seek it: a 2009 study shows that only 25% of female patients request it, in the face of high levels of anxiety and depression identified in 70% of the female sample, while the percentage drops further among men (10%), despite 50% reporting significant anxiety and depression scores.
The growing diffusion of smart speakers and Alexa technology can therefore contribute to enhancing the importance of psychological support in this area. In fact, in addition to offering useful information on the management of the psychological load in the different phases of the disease, all the contents present on ‘More about the tumor’ suggest how to deal more effectively with this difficult experience through a personalized psychological path, addressing, for example, to the nearest center in the area or to the Italian Society of Psycho-Oncology (www.siponazionale.it). With ‘More on cancer’ it is the first time in Italy that voice-assistant technology is used to offer a service to the most vulnerable people who need support in dealing with the disease emotionally.
“The diagnosis of cancer can definitely upset the life of a person and those around him. Even living with this disease itself, fortunately getting longer, but often not without difficulties and moments of despair, characterized by continuous follow- ups that generate apprehension and hope at the same time, have important psychological repercussions. For this reason it is increasingly important to treat the disease and take care of the person at the same time, guaranteeing both the patient and the caregiver psychological support and a space for emotional containment. “, comments Alberto Stanzione, Pfizer’s Oncology Director in Italy.
“Experimenting and being the first to undertake new paths and ways to do so, also making use of artificial intelligence and the evolution of voice assistants, which have entered our daily life and are opening great prospects in many fields, is part of our ongoing commitment to find concrete and innovative solutions that can support patients and help make their lives better “, he concludes.
Pfizer’s new ‘format’, which uses a technology increasingly present in the homes and mobile devices of Italians, will also be applied in other therapeutic areas: in fact, the ‘More on amyloidosis’ skill is already under development and soon available, dedicated to patients suffering from this rare disease.