Developed Jointly with Kyoto University: Research Results from Clinical Research App 'Hakarute Research' and Cancer Patient Support App 'Hakarute' Presented at Academic Conference

DUMSCO Inc. (Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Narumasa Nishiike) has provided its clinical research app 'Hakarute Research' and the cancer patient support app 'Hakarute,' jointly developed with Kyoto University, as data collection tools for research on symptom burden and Quality of Life (QOL) for cancer patients, led by the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.

The research results utilizing these apps were presented at the 78th Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Academic Lecture (JSOG 2026), held in Sapporo from May 15 to May 17, 2026. The presentation was delivered by Dr. Nozomi Higashiyama of the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics at the Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine.

DUMSCO specializes in Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measurement technology. Through various healthcare smartphone apps that visualize autonomic nervous system states, the company has accumulated over 40 million HRV data points from more than 3 million users. HRV, which indicates the fluctuations in the intervals between heartbeats (R-R intervals), is known to be influenced by the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. DUMSCO has developed a proprietary model that analyzes this vast data to quantify energy levels on a scale of 50 to 150 (with an average of 100). These energy levels tend to be higher when individuals are relatively healthy and lower during periods of ongoing fatigue or poor physical condition. Utilizing this HRV analysis technology, 'Hakarute Research,' the app developed jointly with Kyoto University, allows patients to record daily symptoms via smartphone and also serves as a tool for quick and easy HRV measurement and management using the smartphone camera. Furthermore, in order to contribute to the cancer treatment of a broader range of patients, DUMSCO launched 'Hakarute,' a version of 'Hakarute Research' modified for general users, in July 2024, which is currently used by many cancer patients. The research presented at the conference also utilized the HRV and physical condition data recorded through these apps.

Regarding the research results presented by Dr. Nozomi Higashiyama, titled 'Potential effects of mental symptoms reduction on physical symptom burden in woman with cancer,' the following insights were obtained:

Women with cancer often experience mental distress, such as anxiety and depression, which leads directly to a decline in their quality of life. This study aimed to statistically estimate how daily 'mental symptom severity' influences subsequent 'physical symptom burden.'

The study analyzed a massive volume of life-log data—totaling 22,251 person-days—collected from 982 female patients undergoing chemotherapy via the 'Hakarute' app. It verified the association between the progression of mental symptoms, such as 'feeling ill,' 'anxiety,' and 'sadness,' and the total number of other physical symptoms, such as pain and numbness.

The analysis revealed a tendency for patients to have lower step counts and reduced activity levels on days when their mental symptom scores were higher. Furthermore, it was shown that on days with severe mental symptoms, the prevalence of a wide range of physical symptoms—including numbness, fatigue, nail changes, edema, taste disorders, joint pain, sleepiness, headaches, dry mouth, and nausea—increased. Even after adjusted analysis, the mental symptom score remained independently associated with the number of physical symptoms on the same day, suggesting that mental symptoms are an important indicator of physical symptom burden.

Furthermore, by examining the effects of mental symptoms separated into 'within-person changes' and 'between-person differences,' it became clear that within the same patient, physical symptoms increase on days when mental symptoms worsen compared to their norm, and patients with chronically higher mental symptoms have a greater physical symptom burden. In addition, the mental symptom score of a given week was significantly associated with the physical symptom burden of the following week, suggesting that the worsening of mental symptoms can be a predictor of future increases in physical symptoms.

These results indicate that mental symptoms in female cancer patients are not merely psychological distress but are practical signals reflecting a broad patient burden, including physical symptom burden and reduced activity levels. It also suggests that early evaluation and intervention for mental symptoms could potentially lead to a reduction in future physical symptom burden.