Student creates app to help cancer patients

Mary Beth Sallee 

Reporter, Hart Co. News-Herald 

 

According to the American Cancer Society, there will be an estimated 1.9 million new cancer cases within the United States this year. That’s approximately 5,250 new cases each day. 

 Thanks to the innovation of one local student, those diagnosed with the disease may soon have a plethora of resources available at their fingertips. 

 In August of 2021, Emma Bunch and other students at Glasgow High School were challenged by teacher Larry Correll to create an app for an assignment in their AP Computer Science Principles class. 

 But Emma wanted to take the assignment a bit further. She created an app called Cure, a comprehensive cancer app designed to help patients in their time of need.  

 “Since I want to become a physician-scientist in pediatric oncology, I wanted to design an app that would have a real impact and help these patients navigate through their time of diagnosis,” Emma said. 

 The Cure app has many features such as Ask Cure, where a bot known as Hope answers frequently asked questions about cancer. With Cure Connect, patients can be connected to local healthcare providers in all fifty states. The app also features a monthly newsletter called Finding Cures, as well as Cure Inform and Cure History, where patients can be informed about the history of and all aspects of cancer. 

 Ever since third grade, Emma has been fascinated with the idea of curing cancer. Now at the age of 17, Emma has spent many hours outside of class working on the app to make it functional and able to eventually be published. 

 “Cancer impacts everyone, whether it is a family member, yourself, or a friend,” Emma said. “The mechanisms behind cancer specifically are very complex and necessitate more research into better therapeutics and a better outcome for patients. I truly want this app to help these patients through what is arguably one of the darkest times in their lives. I want this app to make the process of navigating through their diagnosis easier so they can enjoy every moment with the ones they love and doing the things they love.” 

 The Cure app is already receiving state-wide recognition.  

 Emma recently placed first in the Congressional App Challenge for her district, hosted by Congressman Brett Guthrie. Emma also presented her app at the House of Code, which was scheduled for Washington D.C. but was held virtually due to the pandemic. 

 Congressman Guthrie presented the Congressional Award to Emma at Glasgow High School. 

 “I am so honored to have had the opportunity to submit my app and win,” Emma said. “I have also been in conversation with various physicians in the area about implementing the app into the oncology department of local hospitals.” 

 Emma also spent two weeks at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in the lab of Dr. Alexander Bick, Assistant Professor in the Division of Genetic Medicine, researching clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP) and its impact on the development of solid tumors. 

 “I am researching the impact of these CHIP mutations with other covariates (such as smoking, certain DNA mutations, etc.) in regards to the development and progression of solid tumors in breast, lung, and prostate cancer,” Emma said. “I am working with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) All of Us Research Program as a researcher to answer these inquiries.” 

 As for the future of Emma’s Cure app, she has assembled a team of three other high school programmers to assist with redesigning and programming the app to make it even better. 

 “We are redesigning the user interface and are making it available for both iOS and Android using React Native,” Emma explained. “We hope to publish the app officially within the next year.” 

 Emma’s future plans are to become a physician-scientist in pediatric oncology. She wants to obtain her medical degree (MD) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in order to not only take care of children with cancer but also to be at the forefront of cutting-edge research and advancing cures for the future.