| The following article features coverage from the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 meeting. Click here to read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s conference coverage. |
The Cyberinfrastructure for Comparative Effectiveness Research (CYCORE) system may reduce the severity of disease-specific and general symptoms among patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) during radiotherapy (RT) compared with usual care, according to findings that will be presented at the 2018 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting in Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday, June 2.1
A common consequence of RT among patients with HNC is moderate-to-severe mucositis, which can severely limit liquid intake and lead to dehydration, hospitalization, and decreased quality-of-life (QOL). The CYCORE system — a mobile and sensor-based technology — may enable physicians to intervene at the early signs of dehydration and other RT-associated symptoms, improving outcomes among this patient population.
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In the Sensor-Assisted Prevention of Dehydration in Head and Neck Cancer Patients study (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02253238), researchers randomly assigned 357 patients with HNC to use CYCORE during RT or receive usual care. The CYCORE system remotely evaluated key clinical measures such as patient weight, blood pressure/pulse, and patient reported-outcomes, which were assessed daily by physicians.
Patients completed the 28-item Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI) at baseline (before initiating RT), upon completing RT (6-7 weeks after baseline), and 6-8 weeks after completing RT. Symptom severity and interference were also recorded. MDASI scores were similar between both study arms at baseline.
Results showed that patients assigned to the CYCORE arm had a better mean general symptom score (2.92 vs 3.4; P = .003) and mean HNC-specific symptom score (4.21 vs 4.83; P = .009) upon RT completion compared with patients in the usual care arm. The CYCORE system group also had improved symptom scores after 6 to 8 weeks post-RT (1.69 vs 1.96; P = .003; 1.78 vs. 2.11, P = .009) compared with the usual care group.
Symptom interference in daily life mean scores were comparable in both treatment arms.
The authors concluded that “sensor and mobile technology can enable monitoring of patients’ symptoms and related outcomes during critical periods of outpatient cancer treatment, can provide timely information to facilitate rapid clinical decision making about care, and may ultimately result in better QOL and health outcomes.”
Read more of Cancer Therapy Advisor‘s coverage of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) 2018 meeting by visiting the conference page.
Reference
- Peterson SK, Garden AS, Shinn EH, et al. Using mobile and sensor technology to identify early dehydration risk in head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment: impact on symptoms. Poster presented at: 2018 ASCO Annual Meeting; June 1-5, 2018; Chicago, IL.
