New Real World Data from Belong.Life Cancer Patient Powered Network (PPN) Reveals Higher Rate of Side Effects than Previously Reported in Clinical Research

NEW YORK, May 15, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Belong.Life, the world's largest interactive social network for cancer patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals, announced today that the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) is including three abstracts in its 2019 Congress Abstract book based on data aggregated from the "Belong – Beating Cancer Together"  patient powered network (PPN) application.

The research demonstrates that incorporating Belong.Life data into clinical practices could improve patient outcomes by providing insight into the prevalence of taxane-induced neuropathy in breast cancer patients, and the emotional and financial side effects of traditional therapies.

"The future of cancer treatment lies in PPNs that can assist both patients and physicians with real-time data to inform treatment journeys," said Eliran Malki, CEO and co-founder of Belong.Life. "Capturing user-generated data from an anonymous database of over 150,000 patients and caregivers, we have identified the need for further exploration of the gap between controlled clinical studies and real-world evidence."

The free Belong.Life platform offers anonymous access to chat with medical professionals, support from a vast social network of patients, a platform to house their treatment documentation and access to a robust clinical trial matching service. Research for the abstracts was aggregated from real-world data generated on the app and analyzed by leading data scientists and oncologists.

Abstract e18248: Unveiling the real-world outcomes of breast cancer (BC) patients with taxanes-induced neuropathy using a digital patient-powered network (PPN)

Key Findings: A direct correlation between the prevalence of taxanes-induced neuropathy to two commonly used BC drugs; Paclitaxel and Docetaxel. The data showed that the instances of taxanes-induced neuropathy was significantly higher than reported in published studies on both drugs.

Authors: Prof. Raanan Berger, researcher and member of Belong's advisory committee.  

Abstract e18060: Real world data (RWD) and Patients Reported Outcomes (PRO) in Breast Cancer (BC): physical, emotional side effects (S/E), financial toxicity (FT) and complementary usage (CM)

Key Findings: Defined several emotional and financial burdens induced by cancer therapies, including incidences of depression and anxiety. In addition, patients reported use of different complementary treatment methods to ease their cancer therapy journey.

Author: Dr. Daniel Vorobiof, Belong CMD

Abstract e18092: Creating the real-world medical record: using digital patient-generated data to create an updated picture of patients outcomes

Key Findings: Data collected by a patient powered network created a comparable clinical description to standard medical documents and could be used to improve the cost-efficiency of healthcare systems.

Authors: Dr. Maytal Benita, Belong CEO Eliran Malki, Belong CTO Irad Deutsch

"The possibility of doing research through a worldwide social network like Belong is truly exciting," said Dr. Daniel Vorobiof, Chief Medical Director of Belong. "The real world data provided by the patients in an anonymous, free and quick way, allows us to understand how a patient actually experiences recovery."

Company and study representatives including Eliran Malki, Dr. Daniel Vorobiof, Dr. Raanan Berger, and Irad Deutsch will attend the conference that will take place in Chicago, Illinois, from May 31 to June 4.

About Belong.Life

Founded in 2015 by noted entrepreneurs Eliran Malki, Irad Deutsch and Ohad Rubin after each lost relatives to cancer, Belong is a free patient navigation app that allows cancer patients and their support network to explore and better manage their treatment journey while improving their quality of life. The Belong global community gains access to a proprietary big data platform and machine learning technology that enables people to connect, receive and share clinical information anonymously and to privately discuss urgent issues related to their condition. Today, Belong is the world's largest digital cancer patient platform and has partnerships with the American Cancer Society, Colorectal Cancer Canada, Janssen Pharmaceuticals and others. The company also conducts international research, collaborates with leading universities, attends and contributes clinical research to the annual meetings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and the European Society of Medical Oncology (ESMO) as well as other organizations. You can find more information about Belong.Life by visiting the website, https://belong.life/ and by following the company on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Ellie Hanson
Finn Partners for Belong
929-222-8006
[email protected] 

SOURCE Belong.Life