How a Cancer Survivor Is Redesigning the Patient Journey: The Story of Manta Cares
Berlin — When Samira Daswini was diagnosed with breast cancer a week after her 30th birthday, she was thrust into a healthcare system that felt more like a maze than a support network. Over the next 18 months, she navigated 123 medical appointments, five emergency room visits, and a relentless stream of decisions—all while battling fear, fatigue, and a system that seemed designed for everything but the patient. What she needed, she realized, was a map. What she built instead was a movement.
Daswini, now the CEO of Manta Cares, has turned her personal ordeal into a digital platform that is reshaping how cancer patients and their families navigate treatment. The company, founded in 2022, blends lived experience with clinical expertise, offering tools that address the gaps Daswini herself encountered: fragmented care, overwhelming information, and the emotional toll of a diagnosis that demands more than medical intervention—it demands resilience, organization, and a roadmap for survival.
“In 18 months, I had 123 appointments, 14 clinicians, seven biopsies, five ER visits, two insurance plans, and 18 infusions,” Daswini shared on the company’s About Us page. “And I had zero tools.” That admission is not just a reflection of her personal journey; it’s a critique of a healthcare system that, despite its advancements, often leaves patients to fend for themselves in a labyrinth of appointments, medications, and emotional upheaval. Manta Cares is her answer to that systemic failure.
A Digital Map for the Cancer Journey
Manta Cares began as a simple, paper-based guide—a “cancer map” that Daswini created to track her own appointments, symptoms, and questions. She distributed copies through hospital gift shops, where other patients quickly recognized its value. What started as a personal coping mechanism evolved into a digital platform, designed to support patients through every stage of their cancer journey, from diagnosis to survivorship or palliative care.
The platform’s core offering is a symptom-tracking tool paired with an AI-powered chatbot, built atop a structured “map” of the cancer experience. Patients can log symptoms, track medications, and receive personalized guidance tailored to their specific diagnosis and treatment plan. The goal, Daswini has said, is to provide “the right information at the right time”—a stark contrast to the overwhelming deluge of generic advice or the silence that often follows a diagnosis.
“This isn’t a wellness app or a concierge service for the privileged,” Daswini wrote in a LinkedIn post outlining the company’s mission. “It’s a patient-first infrastructure platform—a single place where people can organize their care and get the tools and educational resources the system too often fails to provide.”
That mission has resonated with both patients and healthcare institutions. Manta Cares has since expanded its platform to cover 80% of cancer types, a milestone that reflects the company’s ambition to create a scalable solution for a disease that affects millions worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, cancer is the second leading cause of death globally, with nearly 10 million deaths in 2020 alone. For those who survive, the journey is often marked by long-term physical and emotional challenges, making tools like Manta Cares not just helpful, but essential.
Built by Patients, Backed by Experts
What sets Manta Cares apart is its foundation in lived experience. The company’s leadership team includes cancer survivors, care partners, and healthcare professionals who understand the gaps in the system firsthand. Daswini’s co-founder and Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Douglas Blayney, brings over 45 years of clinical oncology experience to the table. A former president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) and a leader at Stanford’s Cancer Center, Blayney’s expertise ensures that the platform’s clinical guidance is both evidence-based and patient-centered.
“Manta Cares blends a unique combination of humanity, science, technology, and design in every tool and resource we create,” the company states on its website. That blend is evident in the platform’s design, which prioritizes usability and empathy. The interface is intuitive, with features like medication reminders, symptom journals, and a library of curated resources that address both the medical and emotional aspects of cancer care. For patients juggling multiple treatments, insurance claims, and the emotional weight of their diagnosis, such tools can be lifelines.
The company’s approach has likewise attracted the attention of pharmaceutical partners. In 2023, Manta Cares announced a collaboration with Novartis, a global leader in innovative medicines, to support 50,000 breast cancer patients. The partnership aims to integrate Manta Cares’ platform into Novartis’ patient support programs, expanding access to tools that support patients navigate their treatment with greater confidence and clarity.
Why the System Needs Redesigning
Daswini’s story is not unique. Cancer patients worldwide face a healthcare system that, while medically advanced, is often bureaucratically and emotionally overwhelming. A 2022 study published in JAMA Oncology found that cancer patients spend an average of 100 hours per year managing their care, a burden that falls disproportionately on those with lower socioeconomic status. The study also highlighted the emotional toll of navigating a fragmented system, with many patients reporting feelings of isolation and anxiety.
Manta Cares addresses these challenges by putting the patient at the center of the experience. The platform’s AI chatbot, for example, is designed to answer questions in real time, reducing the demand for patients to sift through unreliable online sources or wait for callbacks from overburdened healthcare providers. The symptom tracker, meanwhile, helps patients and their doctors identify patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed, such as side effects that could indicate a need for treatment adjustments.
“We ask questions, do the research, keep meticulous records, and advocate for ourselves,” Daswini wrote in her LinkedIn post. “We self-educate. We self-activate. We challenge assumptions. We arrive prepared, not because we want to but because the gaps in the system demand it.” Her words underscore a growing movement in healthcare: the shift from a provider-centric model to one that empowers patients as active participants in their own care.
The Future of Patient-Centered Cancer Care
Manta Cares is part of a broader trend in digital health, where startups are leveraging technology to address the human side of medicine. Unlike traditional health apps, which often focus on fitness or chronic disease management, Manta Cares is tailored to the unique needs of cancer patients—a population that requires both clinical precision and emotional support.
The company’s growth reflects the demand for such tools. In 2023, Manta Cares secured seed funding to expand its platform, with plans to deepen its integration with healthcare providers and insurers. The goal is to create a seamless ecosystem where patients, doctors, and care teams can collaborate more effectively, reducing the administrative burden on all sides.
For Daswini, the work is deeply personal. “We are so grateful for the opportunity to channel our own experiences and those of our community to help others who hear those life-changing words, ‘You have cancer,’” she wrote. “We’ve been there.” That empathy is the driving force behind Manta Cares, a company that is not just redesigning the cancer experience but redefining what it means to care for patients in the 21st century.
Key Takeaways
- Patient-Centered Design: Manta Cares was born from Samira Daswini’s personal experience with breast cancer, which included 123 appointments and five ER visits over 18 months. The platform is built to address the gaps she encountered, offering tools for symptom tracking, medication management, and emotional support.
- Clinical Expertise Meets Lived Experience: The company’s leadership includes cancer survivors and Dr. Douglas Blayney, a clinical oncologist with over 45 years of experience, ensuring that the platform’s guidance is both evidence-based and empathetic.
- Scalable Impact: Manta Cares now covers 80% of cancer types and has partnered with Novartis to support 50,000 breast cancer patients, demonstrating its potential to scale and integrate with larger healthcare systems.
- Reducing the Burden of Care: Studies show that cancer patients spend an average of 100 hours per year managing their care. Manta Cares’ tools aim to streamline this process, reducing the administrative and emotional burden on patients and their families.
- A Growing Trend in Digital Health: Manta Cares is part of a broader movement toward patient-centered digital health tools, which prioritize usability, empathy, and collaboration between patients and healthcare providers.
What’s Next for Manta Cares?
As Manta Cares continues to expand, the company is focused on deepening its integration with healthcare providers and insurers. Upcoming milestones include the launch of new features for rare cancer types and further collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to bring its platform to more patients. For updates, readers can follow the company’s progress on its official website or through its LinkedIn page.
For those navigating a cancer diagnosis, tools like Manta Cares offer more than just organization—they offer hope. In a system that often feels impersonal, Daswini’s story is a reminder that empathy and innovation can go hand in hand, creating a future where no patient has to face cancer alone.
What has been your experience navigating the healthcare system during a serious illness? Share your thoughts in the comments below, and don’t forget to share this article with anyone who might find it helpful.