Tired of Cancer B.V. and University of Groningen launches Cancer-Related Fatigue scientific study featuring mobile app

Tired of Cancer B.V. and the University of Groningen have partnered together to conduct a large RCT study focused on cancer-related fatigue (CRF). The effectiveness of Tired of Cancer’s Untire app will be studied in an international scientific study lead by Profs. Robbert Sanderman and Mariët Hagedoorn. The Untire app seeks to provide users with the right tools to regain energy and improve quality of life. “CRF is a very important topic, however both patients and doctors tend not to talk about it. One of the reasons is that there was no concrete solution. Now there is,” said Tired of Cancer co-founder Door Vonk, MA “Our aim is to help cancer patients worldwide with this program.”

Over the next 18 months, the study will investigate whether the Untire App can help cancer patients and survivors reduce their cancer-related fatigue and improve their quality of life. In total 6,000 participants will be recruited in the USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, Spain and The Netherlands.

Participants will at random be placed into one of the two test groups: the first (test) group (N = 3,000) will receive immediate 6-months access to the Untire App, the second (control) group (N = 3,000) will obtain free access for 6-months after a period of 12 weeks of the study. This will allow researchers to explore and compare fluctuations in patients’ fatigue in both groups. In order to measure participant response, all 6,000 participants will be asked to complete ongoing questionnaires throughout the study about their levels of fatigue, quality of life, and other fatigue related aspects such as physical activity, sleep, mood and mindfulness.  The research team of Sanderman & Hagedoorn states: “We are thrilled to be part of this enterprise and hope that we will be able, with our research, to contribute even to further improvements” and, “We obviously need the research to prove its impact, but we do hope that it will be a showcase of the potentials of e-health support for patients with cancer.”

Untire App features:

•                    Education to better understand fatigue

•                    Tips and reminders to improve lifestyle

•                    Exercises for body and mind to reduce stress and increase energy levels

•                    Online community for support and communication with CRF peers

•                    Weekly reporting to keep track of energy levels and progress

A collaborative Facebook campaign will promote the study in order to encourage participation. More information can be found here. Those interested in taking part in the study can find out if they are eligible through the online research site: https://www.efs-survey.com/uc/untire/eligibility/

About Tired of Cancer: In 2013, Dr. Bram Kuiper established Tired of Cancer after working for 30 years in the field of psycho-oncology. Tired of Cancer is committed to helping as many cancer patients all over the world to improve energy levels and regain a better quality of life. At the heart of Tired of Cancer are two decades of psychological interventions and academic research. Through establishing the Untire app, individuals can reduce cancer-related fatigue in an easy-to-use, digital program. Tired of Cancer is a content driven social enterprise committed to investing any future revenues into Research and Development for new solutions to benefit fatigued cancer patients. For more information about Tired of Cancer and the Untire app visit www.tiredofcancerapp.com and www.untire.me or find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UntireApp.

Contact information

Lucasbolwerk 6 3512 EG

Utrecht, Netherlands

Email: info@tiredofcancerapp.com

Media Contact information

Email: press@untire.me

Press Kit: https://untire.me/press/

About University of Groningen: The University of Groningen is a Top 100 University with more than 400 years of experience in excellent research. The department of Health Psychology is part of the Faculty of Medicine (University Medical Center of Groningen) and studies health and illness in relation to human behavior. They are interested in how people cope with illnesses and therefore explore intervention tools (both face-to-face as well as e-Health) with the meaning to support patients dealing with their disease.

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