Digital Symptom Monitoring and Survivorship Research Boost Cancer Patient Wellbeing

A new study shows that weekly electronic symptom check-ins significantly improve quality of life for patients undergoing treatment for advanced cancer, with the greatest benefits seen among Black patients and those with less education. The findings, published in JCO Oncology Practice, come from the PRO-TECT trial, which enrolled 1,191 adults across 52 U.S. community oncology clinics. After three months, patients who reported symptoms weekly via online surveys or automated telephone calls experienced major improvements in symptom control and physical function compared to those receiving usual care, and the system also appeared to reduce or delay emergency department visits.

The trial found that remote monitoring helped bridge communication gaps. Black patients started with lower symptom control than White patients, but the intervention erased that disparity, bringing both groups to a similar level by the third month. Black patients were also more likely to say the weekly check-ins made them feel more in control of their care and improved conversations with their treatment team. Patients with a high school education or less had the single biggest boost, with higher rates of nurse alerts and subsequent improvements. Women and patients under age 65, who often report more distress during treatment, also saw substantial gains.

“Our results suggest that remote monitoring may provide underserved cancer patients with a new avenue to communicate concerns that might go underrecognized in routine practice,” said the study chair. The senior author added that rather than widening disparities, the technology appeared to narrow them.

As the number of cancer survivors in the United States rises—currently over 19 million and expected to reach 26 million by 2040—researchers are also focusing on how to help survivors live well after treatment. Survivorship care is shifting toward personalized approaches that address long-term physical, cognitive, and emotional needs. Older adults, who make up nearly two-thirds of survivors, highly value independence and mobility, and studies are examining ways to preserve those capabilities.

At the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center, multiple survivorship studies aim to enroll approximately 500 participants over five years. One, the HALT Aging-1 study, is testing a virtual exercise and health coaching program for blood cancer survivors aged 50 and older, with one-third of participants recruited from rural communities. Another effort, the multi-center COACH study, is evaluating digital health coaching across six National Cancer Institute-designated cancer centers to help survivors achieve personalized health goals regardless of location. Research also includes tracking physical function in older blood cancer patients during their first year of treatment and assessing the impact of graft-versus-host disease therapies on quality of life.

Separately, a study in the United Kingdom is investigating why some older people recover better from cancer treatment than others. The REBOUND study is examining “hallmarks of ageing”—biological processes that occur naturally with age—in patients aged 65 and older undergoing bowel cancer surgery. Researchers are analyzing DNA changes, gut bacteria, and blood and fat cells, and comparing them with tests of memory, thinking, strength, and muscle function. The study, which opened in Autumn 2024 and has enrolled 58 of its planned 172 participants, aims to identify ways to prevent or reduce treatment-related ageing changes and help older patients remain active.

“We want to understand how the biology of ageing changes when older people have significant events, such as major surgery, and why some people recover well, and others don’t,” said the study’s chief investigator. “With this understanding, we can identify ways of improving recovery in everyone.”