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Cancer can be a scary disease—and
what’s worse, it can be really isolating for the people suffering from it and
their families.
Enter Kintalk.
Kintalk, founded by the
University of California San Francisco’s Department of Medicine, is more than
just a resource for people with cancer: it’s a place where they can gather
support and information about the genetic aspects of the disease, as well as
getting up-to-date medical research and advice from doctors whose work focuses
on cancer treatments. The site also offers information about screening and a
secure location to store medical information so that families can connect and
get a good understanding of genetic issues that could lead to cancer.
The biggest win for
Kintalk, though, is that it offers a secure, easily accessible place where
families can upload their genetic information and share it with each other.
That means a better chance of earlier cancer detection where there’s a genetic
predisposition.
Kintalk wouldn’t exist
without generous donations like the one from Thom
Weisel, a Silicon Valley
businessman with a background in tech. Back in 2013, Weisel met with Kintalk
Board Director and gastroenterologist Jonathan Terdiman, MD, about Terdiman’s
vision for a centralized, online location for families to share genetic
information that could help patients detect cancer earlier and more
efficiently. Weisel was on board immediately.
“Although medicine is often
notoriously bad at using technology to address problems,” Weisel
observed, “this is clearly a great
application of technology. What’s really neat is that it can be applied to lots
of other areas. Whether it’s a certain type of cancer or some other medical
issue, it puts an affinity group—members who share the same issues—in a secure
environment, and allows them to talk to each other.”
The medical experts behind
Kintalk include genetic counselors, gastroenterologists, oncologists, surgeons,
and nurses, all of whom specialize in hereditary cancer syndromes.
Kintalk focuses on two main areas of cancer: hereditary breast and
ovarian cancer (HBOC) and Lynch syndrome (a genetic condition that often leads
to colorectal or ovarian cancer). About 5-10% of breast cancer and 15% of
ovarian cancers are believed to be hereditary, while about one in 370 people
have Lynch syndrome. That’s why it’s so important for families with a history
of these genetic mutations to communicate with each other and get tested early
to nip cancer in the bud before it becomes potentially life threatening.
The best part about all of this is that the tech behind Kintalk could easily be used to provide support and education around other medical scenarios as well, like Weisel suggested. By connecting fellow sufferers with professional support, Kintalk and any offshoot programs will keep people healthier and more in the know about their options.
