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Emily Hung

Hongkonger Susan Tam, 70, used to wake in the middle of the night, desperate for relief from an unbearable, relentless itch caused by her cancer medication.
Tam, diagnosed with lung cancer a few months ago, tried applying regular moisturiser to soothe severe skin rashes, but in vain.
She also used aqueous cream, a staple from her time working in a care home for the elderly, and even turned to hot water to numb the irritation, only to find it further inflamed her condition.
A visit to a family doctor yielded little help, resulting only in more ointments and advice to consult her primary oncologist.
“I did not feel unwell or sick from the cancer at all, until I started taking the cancer drugs,” Tam recalled.
“Fortunately, when I was first prescribed the medication, a nurse advised me to download a mobile app that allowed me to contact her with any questions.”
SUPPORT+, developed by the University of Hong Kong (HKU), was designed to provide a reliable, unbiased source of information for cancer patients and their carers, offering a direct line of communication with healthcare professionals when questions arise.
Tam recalled texting the nurse through the app and sending a photo of her rashes. She soon received a call from her oncologist, who advised her to stop taking the medication and fast-tracked her consultation.
The nursing team also used the platform to provide advice on lifestyle adjustments, such as taking shorter showers, using lukewarm rather than hot water to protect her fragile skin barrier and mixing different moisturisers to achieve a less oily texture.




Following a swift clinical review and an adjustment to her drug dosage, the severe rashes cleared completely. Today, her skin condition remains stable and she returns to the hospital every two weeks.
“Now that my condition has stabilised, I sometimes text the nurse when I’m unsure what I can eat, such as health supplements recommended by friends or Chinese herbal medicine prescribed elsewhere, which I later learned should be taken with caution,” she said.
Bridging this critical information gap for patients such as Tam was what inspired the creation of the platform.
Dr Wendy Chan Wing-lok, a clinical associate professor of practice at HKU’s department of clinical oncology who led the project, said addressing this shortfall could offer some peace of mind to patients already facing immense physical and emotional strain.
“One of the biggest challenges patients face is finding reliable and accurate information about their condition,” she said.
“Some may turn to online or social media platforms, but they do not know whether the advice is biased or applicable to their case.
“Elderly patients are especially vulnerable, as they typically have a lower tolerance for cancer therapy and a more limited ability to search for information.”
A study by the Anti-Cancer Society in 2023 found that cancer patients and their carers received, on average, 90 pieces of information within the first three months of diagnosis, with more than 70 per cent coming from non-medical sources.
More than 80 per cent of respondents said they were unable to determine whether the information they found online was true or false, while nearly 40 per cent reported feeling unwell after adopting remedies suggested by relatives, friends or online sources.

Launched in 2022 with private backing, the app provides comprehensive information on cancer types, risk factors, treatments and community resources, including patient support programmes, in English, traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese, delivered through text, infographics and video.
Users can also record their physical symptoms in the app, with nurses monitoring entries during office hours and providing support as needed.
Despite being run by a small team of just Chan and six part-time staff, the app has grown rapidly and now supports about 76,000 users.
But the platform is now entering a period of transition.
With its initial five-year funding cycle having concluded last December, the team is actively exploring new sources of financial support to ensure that the app continues to operate smoothly.
Chan said she hoped the project could secure fresh backing to harness technological advances and ensure patients did not lose a vital lifeline.
“I hope there will be more funding dedicated to digital health research projects, which are rapidly emerging worldwide and being used to enhance the well-being of cancer patients with the help of big data and artificial intelligence,” she said.


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News

Hong Kong

Health & Environment

After helping thousands of patients, HKU’s SUPPORT+ is seeking fresh funding to help cancer patients manage their symptoms at home


After helping thousands of patients, HKU’s SUPPORT+ is seeking fresh funding to help cancer patients manage their symptoms at home.


Cancer

Hong Kong society

China

The University of Hong Kong

How a Hong Kong app is a ‘vital lifeline’ for 76,000 patients navigating cancer care

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}After helping thousands of patients, HKU’s SUPPORT+ is seeking fresh funding to help cancer patients manage their symptoms at home

After helping thousands of patients, HKU’s SUPPORT+ is seeking fresh funding to help cancer patients manage their symptoms at home