Video Game Helps Teen Cancer Patients

How's this for a video game with true purpose? "Re-Mission" is designed for teens with cancer. It has two aims: To help kids visualize their chemotherapy treatments killing cancer cells by seeing them get zapped on a screen, and to remind them how important it is to take their medicine and stick with their regimens to fight their disease.

A nanobot named Roxxi roams inside the bodies of cancer patients, destroying cancer cells, holding off bacterial infections, and minimizing side effects of cancer treatments. It's designed by HopeLabs, launched in 2001 by Pam Omidyar, a medical researcher who is married to eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, to improve young people's health through fun technology that delivers good health and science information. The Reuters reports that the California nonprofit met with video game developers, animators, cancer experts, medical professionals, and young cancer patients to develop "Re-Mission."

HopeLab's first study results show the game helps teen patients feel more in control of their treatment, increases their knowledge of cancer, and helps them stay on track with their cancer therapy regimen.

Hard to find fault with this free teen-rated video game. You can find "Re-Mission" on HopeLab's web site and now also via Cigna HealthCare's web site.

Look for HopeLab's next target via a teen-centric video game— obesity.

LINK: Video game maker target: teens with cancer  [Reuters] 

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