Accuracy of a Mobile Sensor-Based System for the Detection of Chemotherapy Toxicity in Older Adults With Cancer in a Developing Country

Summary

Patients with cancer in developing countries face considerable challenges in obtaining access to care due to a lack of human resources and infrastructure. This is particularly pressing for vulnerable populations such as older adults. In this setting, many patients receiving chemotherapy are unable to report the presence of toxicities, and adverse events can go unnoticed for considerable amounts of time. The goal of this study is to assess the accuracy of an objective patient-centered measure of physical function (the number of steps taken per day measured using an accelerometer-equipped smartphone) for the remote detection of chemotherapy toxicity in older adults. This study builds on a pilot trial showing that monitoring older patients remotely utilizing an accelerometer-equipped smartphone is feasible and acceptable, and that a decline in the number of steps detected using the device can be an early sign of chemotherapy toxicity. The hypothesis of this study is that a decline in the number daily steps from a prechemotherapy baseline, measured using an accelerometer-equipped smartphone, will be accurate for detecting chemotherapy toxicity in older adults with cancer. This study will evaluate the ability of a patient-centered measure (a decline in the number of daily steps compared with a pre-chemotherapy baseline) to identify the presence of clinically-significant chemotherapy-related toxicity in Mexican older adults with cancer starting first line chemotherapy. Patients will be provided with an accelerometer-equipped smartphone with an installed pedometer application. Baseline steps per day will be obtained and recorded before starting chemotherapy. The patients' steps will be monitored daily for the first three chemotherapy cycles and compared with baseline recordings. Patients will be contacted daily and chemotherapy toxicity will be assessed by a physician. If significant toxicities are identified, the patient will be prompted to seek medical attention. The optimal cutoff point for detecting chemotherapy toxicity utilizing a decline in the number of daily steps will be chosen and validated. The adherence and satisfaction with the intervention will also be evaluated. This study could improve current methods and transform the way in which cancer care is delivered by demonstrating that a simple patient-centered measure obtained using a commercially available smartphone can aid in the accurate identification of clinically significant toxicities among a vulnerable population such as older adults with cancer.

Conditions

• Cancer

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Remote monitoring using smartphone accelerometer

Patients will be instructed to carry the smartphone around their hips during waking hours, regardless of whether they are at home or outside (a nylon hip holster will be provided) and to keep it turned on at all times. Daily steps will be recorded for at least seven days before the start of chemotherapy, and the median baseline number of daily steps will be calculated for each patient. On the first day of chemotherapy, patients will receive side effect education as per standard of care. Patients will be instructed to continue carrying the smartphone daily as indicated for the entire duration of the first three chemotherapy cycles. At the end of the follow-up period (or sooner in cases of early interruption of chemotherapy due to toxicity or disease progression; a change in chemotherapy regimen; or hospitalizations lasting ≥3 days), patients will rate their satisfaction with the intervention using a Likert-scale questionnaire and open-ended questions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Conquer Cancer Foundation

  collaborator OTHER

• Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Enrique Soto Pérez de Celis, MD,MSc · Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

DIAGNOSTIC

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

65 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2019-08-14

Primary Completion

2022-12-14

Completion

2022-12-14

Countries

• Mexico

Study Locations