@Article{info:doi/10.2196/69936, author="Wang, Tingting and Jiang, Jinxia and Song, Zihe and Liu, Xianliang and Zhong, Minhui and Yu, Chan and Zhang, Runa and Duan, Xia", title="Prevalence of Frailty and Its Predictors Among Patients With Cancer at the Chemotherapy Stage: Systematic Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jul", day="24", volume="11", pages="e69936", keywords="cancer", keywords="frailty", keywords="chemotherapy", keywords="influencing factor", keywords="systematic review", abstract="Background: Chemotherapy causes physiological, psychological, and social impairments in patients with cancer. Frailty reduces the effectiveness of chemotherapy and increases the toxicity associated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the possibility of chemotherapy failure, and adverse outcomes. However, factors affecting chemotherapy-related frailty in patients with cancer remain unclarified. Objective: This systematic review aimed to identify risk factors driving frailty progression during chemotherapy in patients with cancer. Methods: A comprehensive systematic search was conducted on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP), and SinoMed for observational studies (cohort, cross-sectional, or case-control) on factors affecting the debility-of-chemotherapy stage in patients with cancers between the inception of the database and February 2025, with an updated search executed in May 2025. Literature screening, quality evaluation using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality checklist, and data extraction were conducted independently by 2 authors. Meta-analysis, effect size combination, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias analysis were performed using RevMan (version 5.4; The Cochrane Collaboration) and R (version 4.4.3; R Foundation). Results: The analysis comprised 14 studies (8 cross-sectional, 2 repeated cross-sectional, 3 cohort, and 1 mixed-design), including 3879 patients with cancer and 23 influencing factors. Methodological quality assessment using Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (mean 8.8, SD 1.3, 95\% CI 7.9?9.7; SE 0.4) and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (mean 8.0, SD 1.0, 95\% CI 6.7?9.3; SE 0.6) revealed 73\% (8/11) of cross-sectional studies as high-quality. The meta-analysis showed a 35\% (95\% CI 22\%?50\%) prevalence of frailty during chemotherapy in these patients. Cancer stage (odds ratio 1.99, 95\% CI 1.64?2.42), chemotherapy frequency (odds ratio 2.60, 95\% CI 1.83?3.70), transfer (odds ratio 2.18, 95\% CI 1.50?3.17), hemoglobin (odds ratio 0.29, 95\% CI 0.18?0.47), white blood cell (odds ratio 0.37, 95\% CI 0.21?0.65), comorbidity (odds ratio 1.93, 95\% CI 1.30?2.86), and hypoproteinemia (odds ratio 1.74, 95\% CI 1.31?2.30) were risk factors for frailty in patients at the chemotherapy stage. Conclusions: Frailty during chemotherapy was strongly associated with advanced cancer stage, frequent treatment cycles, metastasis, anemia, leukopenia, comorbidities, and hypoproteinemia. Clinically actionable findings emphasized hemoglobin and albumin monitoring as preventive targets, while heterogeneity in assessment tools and population bias limited generalizability. The integration of frailty screening into chemotherapy workflows is urgent to mitigate treatment-related functional decline. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42024528132; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024528132 ", doi="10.2196/69936", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e69936" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/65820, author="Song, Gao and Zhang, Cai-qiong and Bai, Zhong-ping and Li, Rong and Cheng, Meng-qun", title="Assisted Reproductive Technology and Risk of Childhood Cancer Among the Offspring of Parents With Infertility: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="12", volume="11", pages="e65820", keywords="assisted reproductive technology", keywords="childhood cancer", keywords="infertility", keywords="subfertile", keywords="risks", keywords="systematic review", abstract="Background: The relationship between assisted reproductive technology (ART) and childhood cancer risk has been widely debated. Previous meta-analyses did not adequately account for the impact of infertility, and this study addresses this gap. Objective: Our primary objective was to assess the relative risk (RR) of childhood cancer in infertile populations using ART versus non-ART offspring, with a secondary focus on comparing frozen embryo transfer (FET) and fresh embryo transfer (fresh-ET). Methods: A literature review was conducted through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science, with a cutoff date of July 10, 2024. The study was registered with the International Platform of Registered Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols (INPLASY 202470119). Inclusion criteria were based on the PICOS (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcomes, and Study Design) framework: infertile or subfertile couples (population), ART interventions (in vitro fertilization [IVF], intracytoplasmic sperm injection [ICSI], FET, and fresh-ET), non-ART comparison, and childhood cancer risk outcomes. Data abstraction focused on the primary exposures (ART vs non-ART and FET vs fresh-ET) and outcomes (childhood cancer risk). The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale, and the evidence quality was evaluated with the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). Pooled estimates and 95\% CIs were calculated using random effects models. Results: A total of 18 studies were included, published between 2000 and 2024, consisting of 14 (78\%) cohort studies and 4 (22\%) case-control studies, all of which were of moderate to high quality. The cohort studies had follow-up periods ranging from 3 to 18 years. Compared with non-ART conception, ART conception was not significantly associated with an increased risk of childhood overall cancer (RR 0.95, 95\% CI 0.71?1.27; GRADE quality: low to moderate). Subgroup analyses of IVF (RR 0.86, 95\% CI 0.59?1.25), ICSI (RR 0.76, 95\% CI 0.26?2.2), FET (RR 0.98, 95\% CI 0.54?1.76), and fresh-ET (RR 0.75, 95\% CI 0.49?1.15) showed similar findings. No significant differences were found for specific childhood cancers, including leukemia (RR 0.99, 95\% CI 0.79?1.24), lymphoma (RR 1.22, 95\% CI 0.64?2.34), brain cancer (RR 1.22, 95\% CI 0.73?2.05), embryonal tumors (RR 1, 95\% CI 0.63?1.58), retinoblastoma (RR 1.3, 95\% CI 0.73?2.31), and neuroblastoma (RR 1.02, 95\% CI 0.48?2.16). Additionally, no significant difference was observed in a head-to-head comparison of FET versus fresh-ET (RR 0.99, 95\% CI 0.86?1.14; GRADE quality: moderate). Conclusions: In conclusion, this study found no significant difference in the risk of childhood cancer between offspring conceived through ART and those conceived through non-ART treatments (such as fertility drugs or intrauterine insemination) in infertile populations. While infertility treatments may elevate baseline risks, our findings suggest that whether individuals with infertility conceive using ART or non-ART methods, their offspring do not face a significantly higher risk of childhood cancer. Further research, especially comparing infertile populations who conceive naturally, is needed to better understand potential long-term health outcomes. Trial Registration: INPLASY 202470119; https://inplasy.com/?s=202470119 ", doi="10.2196/65820", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e65820" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/65984, author="Chen, David and Alnassar, Addeen Saif and Avison, Elizabeth Kate and Huang, S. Ryan and Raman, Srinivas", title="Large Language Model Applications for Health Information Extraction in Oncology: Scoping Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="28", volume="11", pages="e65984", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="chatbot", keywords="data extraction", keywords="AI", keywords="conversational agent", keywords="health information", keywords="oncology", keywords="scoping review", keywords="natural language processing", keywords="NLP", keywords="large language model", keywords="LLM", keywords="digital health", keywords="health technology", keywords="electronic health record", abstract="Background: Natural language processing systems for data extraction from unstructured clinical text require expert-driven input for labeled annotations and model training. The natural language processing competency of large language models (LLM) can enable automated data extraction of important patient characteristics from electronic health records, which is useful for accelerating cancer clinical research and informing oncology care. Objective: This scoping review aims to map the current landscape, including definitions, frameworks, and future directions of LLMs applied to data extraction from clinical text in oncology. Methods: We queried Ovid MEDLINE for primary, peer-reviewed research studies published since 2000 on June 2, 2024, using oncology- and LLM-related keywords. This scoping review included studies that evaluated the performance of an LLM applied to data extraction from clinical text in oncology contexts. Study attributes and main outcomes were extracted to outline key trends of research in LLM-based data extraction. Results: The literature search yielded 24 studies for inclusion. The majority of studies assessed original and fine-tuned variants of the BERT LLM (n=18, 75\%) followed by the Chat-GPT conversational LLM (n=6, 25\%). LLMs for data extraction were commonly applied in pan-cancer clinical settings (n=11, 46\%), followed by breast (n=4, 17\%), and lung (n=4, 17\%) cancer contexts, and were evaluated using multi-institution datasets (n=18, 75\%). Comparing the studies published in 2022?2024 versus 2019?2021, both the total number of studies (18 vs 6) and the proportion of studies using prompt engineering increased (5/18, 28\% vs 0/6, 0\%), while the proportion using fine-tuning decreased (8/18, 44.4\% vs 6/6, 100\%). Advantages of LLMs included positive data extraction performance and reduced manual workload. Conclusions: LLMs applied to data extraction in oncology can serve as useful automated tools to reduce the administrative burden of reviewing patient health records and increase time for patient-facing care. Recent advances in prompt-engineering and fine-tuning methods, and multimodal data extraction present promising directions for future research. Further studies are needed to evaluate the performance of LLM-enabled data extraction in clinical domains beyond the training dataset and to assess the scope and integration of LLMs into real-world clinical environments. ", doi="10.2196/65984", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e65984" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/64208, author="Liao, Wan-Chuen and Angus, Fiona and Conley, Jane and Chen, Li-Chia", title="The Efficacy of Digital Interventions on Adherence to Oral Systemic Anticancer Therapy Among Patients With Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Apr", day="16", volume="11", pages="e64208", keywords="efficacy", keywords="digital interventions", keywords="oral systemic anticancer therapy", keywords="medication adherence", keywords="cancer", keywords="oral", keywords="patients with cancer", keywords="therapy", keywords="systematic review", keywords="meta-analysis", keywords="care plans", keywords="medication", keywords="treatments", keywords="mobile app", keywords="mobile applications", keywords="mHealth", keywords="multimedia platforms", keywords="digital technology", keywords="self-reported", keywords="mobile phone", abstract="Background: Digital interventions have been increasingly applied in multidisciplinary care plans to improve medication adherence to oral systemic anticancer therapy (SACT), the crucial lifesaving treatments for many cancers. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the efficacy of those digital interventions. Objectives: This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the efficacy of digital interventions in improving adherence to oral SACTs in patients with cancer. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis followed the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) statement guidelines. The protocol has been registered at PROSPERO (no. CRD42024550203). Fully published, randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in English on adults with cancer assessing digital interventions for improving adherence to oral SACTs were retrieved from MEDLINE, Embase, APA PsycINFO, and CINAHL Plus up to May 31, 2024. Adherence measures compared between digital intervention users and nonusers were extracted. The proportions of poor adherence were synthesized using a random-effects model. The pooled results were reported as the odds ratio and 95\% CI. The heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 test (\%). The mean difference and 95\% CI were calculated from the mean adherence score and SD. A risk of bias assessment was conducted using version 2 of the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment Tool (RoB 2) for RCTs, which ensured that a quality assessment of all included studies was conducted as recommended by the Cochrane Collaboration. Results: This study included 13 RCTs on digital interventions for improving adherence to oral SACTs in patients with cancer. The 13 RCTs, published between 2016 and 2024, were conducted in the United States, South Korea, France, Egypt, Finland, Australia, Colombia, Singapore, and Turkey. The technologies used were mobile apps (n=4), reminder systems (n=4), telephone follow-ups (n=3), and interactive multimedia platforms (n=2). Adherence was measured by surveys (n=8), relative dose intensity (n=2), pill count (n=1), self-reported missed doses (n=1), a smart pill bottle (n=1), and urine aromatase inhibitor metabolite assays (n=1). Concerns regarding risk of bias primarily involved randomization, missing outcome data, and outcome measurement, including nonblinded randomization, subjective patient-reported data, and difficulties in distinguishing between missed appointments and actual medication nonadherence. Pooled results from 11 trials showed that digital technology users had significantly lower risk of poor adherence (odds ratio 0.60, 95\% CI 0.47?0.77). Two studies reported positive mean differences in adherence scores comparing digital intervention users and nonusers. However, due to considerable heterogeneity (I{\texttwosuperior}=73.1\%), it is difficult to make a definitive conclusion from the pooled results about the effect of digital interventions upon adherence to oral anticancer therapy. Conclusions: Digital intervention users exhibited significantly lower risk of poor oral SACTs adherence than nonusers. Acknowledging individual variation and tailoring digital technologies to prioritize patient needs is essential. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42024550203; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42024550203 ", doi="10.2196/64208", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e64208" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/63964, author="Mushcab, Hayat and Al Ramis, Mohammed and AlRujaib, Abdulrahman and Eskandarani, Rawan and Sunbul, Tamara and AlOtaibi, Anwar and Obaidan, Mohammed and Al Harbi, Reman and Aljabri, Duaa", title="Application of Artificial Intelligence in Cardio-Oncology Imaging for Cancer Therapy--Related Cardiovascular Toxicity: Systematic Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="May", day="9", volume="11", pages="e63964", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="cardiology", keywords="oncology", keywords="cancer therapy--induced", keywords="cardiotoxicity", keywords="cardiovascular toxicity", keywords="machine learning", keywords="imaging", keywords="radiology", abstract="Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary tool yet to be fully integrated into several health care sectors, including medical imaging. AI can transform how medical imaging is conducted and interpreted, especially in cardio-oncology. Objective: This study aims to systematically review the available literature on the use of AI in cardio-oncology imaging to predict cardiotoxicity and describe the possible improvement of different imaging modalities that can be achieved if AI is successfully deployed to routine practice. Methods: We conducted a database search in PubMed, Ovid MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Google Scholar from inception to 2023 using the AI research assistant tool (Elicit) to search for original studies reporting AI outcomes in adult patients diagnosed with any cancer and undergoing cardiotoxicity assessment. Outcomes included incidence of cardiotoxicity, left ventricular ejection fraction, risk factors associated with cardiotoxicity, heart failure, myocardial dysfunction, signs of cancer therapy--related cardiovascular toxicity, echocardiography, and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Descriptive information about each study was recorded, including imaging technique, AI model, outcomes, and limitations. Results: The systematic search resulted in 7 studies conducted between 2018 and 2023, which are included in this review. Most of these studies were conducted in the United States (71\%), included patients with breast cancer (86\%), and used magnetic resonance imaging as the imaging modality (57\%). The quality assessment of the studies had an average of 86\% compliance in all of the tool's sections. In conclusion, this systematic review demonstrates the potential of AI to enhance cardio-oncology imaging for predicting cardiotoxicity in patients with cancer. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that AI can enhance the accuracy and efficiency of cardiotoxicity assessments. However, further research through larger, multicenter trials is needed to validate these applications and refine AI technologies for routine use, paving the way for improved patient outcomes in cancer survivors at risk of cardiotoxicity. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42023446135; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023446135 ", doi="10.2196/63964", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e63964" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/67131, author="Shen, Tong Chun and Shi, Jian and Liu, Xia Feng and Lu, Meng Xiao", title="Internet-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Interventions for Caregivers of Patients With Cancer: Scoping Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jun", day="4", volume="11", pages="e67131", keywords="cancer", keywords="oncology", keywords="caregivers", keywords="informal caregivers", keywords="internet", keywords="scoping review", keywords="cognitive behavioral therapy", abstract="Background: Cancer imposes significant physical and emotional distress not only on patients, but also on their caregivers. In recent years, there has been a growing focus on the mental and physical well-being of caregivers. Among various psychological interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is widely recognized as one of the most effective approaches. However, traditional CBT is often limited by time and geographical constraints, resulting in delayed or inefficient support for caregivers. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) presents a valuable alternative for alleviating the caregiving burden and the negative emotions experienced by caregivers. Objectives: This study aimed to provide a scoping review of ICBT interventions for caregivers of patients with cancer, examining intervention content, outcome measures, and effectiveness and to offer insights and references for the development and clinical applications of ICBT programs tailored to caregivers of patients with cancer in China. Methods: Relevant literature was systematically searched in PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, Embase, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, and VIP Chinese Journal Database. The search timeframe was from database inception to June 6, 2024. Inclusion criteria encompassed intervention studies that implemented cognitive behavioral therapy for caregivers of patients with cancer via the internet, WeChat (Tencent), or mobile electronic devices. This category includes both randomized and nonrandomized controlled trials. Results: A total of 12 studies met the criteria and were included in the review. The intervention content included the following components: treatment initiation and brief introduction (5/12, 41\%), cognitive education and restructuring (7/12, 58\%), emotional expression and coping (6/12, 50\%), cognitive restructuring and reinforcement (4/12, 33\%), behavioral training and activation (9/12, 75\%), problem-solving techniques (4/12, 33\%), communication (5/12, 41\%), and completion of treatment with follow-up consolidation (3/12, 25\%). The intervention duration typically ranged from 6 to 8 weeks. Outcome indicators encompassed feasibility and acceptability, anxiety, depression, caregiver burden, and quality of life. ICBT demonstrated positive effects for caregivers of patients with cancer. Most intervention programs were feasible and acceptable, with 2 out of 5 feasibility studies reporting recruitment rates below 50\%. Attrition rates across studies ranged from 3\% to 16\%, and caregivers expressed satisfaction with the information, quality, and skills provided. ICBT exhibits a moderate effect in diminishing negative emotions among caregivers and alleviating caregiver stress. However, its impact on improving quality of life is not statistically significant, underscoring the need for long-term follow-up. Conclusions: The implementation of ICBT for caregivers of patients with cancer has demonstrated beneficial outcomes, attributed to its practicality and flexibility, which contribute to its greater acceptance among caregivers. Nevertheless, there is significant heterogeneity in intervention format, duration, and outcome indicators. It is necessary to develop optimal intervention strategies and secure online platforms based on the cultural background in China to improve the quality of life of caregivers. ", doi="10.2196/67131", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e67131" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/71596, author="Deng, Ming Xin and Hounsri, Kanokwan and Lopez, Violeta and Tam, Wai-San Wilson", title="Family Experiences, Needs, and Perceptions in Home-Based Hospice Care for Patients With Terminal Cancer: Meta-Synthesis and Systematic Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jun", day="19", volume="11", pages="e71596", keywords="palliative", keywords="hospice", keywords="home care", keywords="cancer", keywords="meta-synthesis.", abstract="Background: Home-based hospice care offers patients with terminal cancer the comfort of receiving care in a familiar environment while enabling family members to provide personalised support. Despite the critical role families play, the literature remains underexplored in terms of their experiences, needs, and perceptions. A robust qualitative synthesis is needed to inform improvements in palliative care services. Objective: This meta-synthesis aims to systematically review and synthesize qualitative evidence regarding the experiences, needs, and perceptions of family caregivers in home-based hospice care for patients with terminal cancer. The goal is identifying key themes that can improve caregiver support and service delivery. Methods: A systematic search was conducted across MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Google Scholar, and relevant gray literature sources up to March 14, 2025. Studies were included if they focused on family caregivers' experiences in home-based hospice care settings, excluding those that addressed only patients or health care providers. Two independent reviewers performed study selection, data extraction, and quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist. Data were synthesized using a 3-step thematic synthesis approach, and the confidence in the findings was assessed via the GRADE-CERQual (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation--Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative Research) framework. Results: Five studies published between 1989 and 2022 from diverse geographical regions (including Asia and Western settings) met the inclusion criteria. Two major themes emerged: (1) being physically and emotionally present, where caregivers expressed a strong commitment to remain with their loved ones, providing emotional support and maintaining a sense of control; and (2) sharing responsibilities, which underscored the importance of both formal support from palliative care teams and informal support from family and friends in mitigating caregiver burden. These findings directly address the study's aims by illustrating how caregivers balance emotional commitment with the practical challenges of providing home-based care. Conclusions: Although family caregivers are dedicated to delivering high-quality, personalized care, they encounter significant emotional and logistical challenges. Variability in study settings, potential recall bias from retrospective interviews, and limited gray literature access may affect the generalizability of the findings. This meta-synthesis underscores the essential role of family involvement in home-based hospice care for patients with terminal cancer. The combined reliance on emotional commitment and shared responsibilities---with support from professional care teams---is vital for optimal care delivery. Future interventions should enhance formal and informal support systems to meet family caregivers' diverse needs better. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42023486012; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42023486012 ", doi="10.2196/71596", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e71596" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/70275, author="Virdee, S. Pradeep and Collins, K. Kiana and Smith, Friedemann Claire and Yang, Xin and Zhu, Sufen and Roberts, Nia and Oke, L. Jason and Bankhead, Clare and Perera, Rafael and Hobbs, Richard F. D. and Nicholson, D. Brian", title="Clinical Prediction Models Incorporating Blood Test Trend for Cancer Detection: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Critical Appraisal", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jun", day="27", volume="11", pages="e70275", keywords="blood test", keywords="hematologic tests", keywords="trend", keywords="prediction model", keywords="primary health care", keywords="cancer", keywords="neoplasms", keywords="systematic review", abstract="Background: Blood tests used to identify patients at increased risk of undiagnosed cancer are commonly used in isolation, primarily by monitoring whether results fall outside the normal range. Some prediction models incorporate changes over repeated blood tests (or trends) to improve individualized cancer risk identification, as relevant trends may be confined within the normal range. Objective: Our aim was to critically appraise existing diagnostic prediction models incorporating blood test trends for the risk of cancer. Methods: MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched until April 3, 2025 for diagnostic prediction model studies using blood test trends for cancer risk. Screening was performed by 4 reviewers. Data extraction for each article was performed by 2 reviewers independently. To critically appraise models, we narratively synthesized studies, including model building and validation strategies, model reporting, and the added value of blood test trends. We also reviewed the performance measures of each model, including discrimination and calibration. We performed a random-effects meta-analysis of the c-statistic for a trends-based prediction model if there were at least 3 studies validating the model. The risk of bias was assessed using the PROBAST (prediction model risk of bias assessment tool). Results: We included 16 articles, with a total of 7 models developed and 14 external validation studies. In the 7 models derived, full blood count (FBC) trends were most commonly used (86\%, n=7 models). Cancers modeled were colorectal (43\%, n=3), gastro-intestinal (29\%, n=2), nonsmall cell lung (14\%, n=1), and pancreatic (14\%, n=1). In total, 2 models used statistical logistic regression, 2 used joint modeling, and 1 each used XGBoost, decision trees, and random forests. The number of blood test trends included in the models ranged from 1 to 26. A total of 2 of 4 models were reported with the full set of coefficients needed to predict risk, with the remaining excluding at least one coefficient from their article or were not publicly accessible. The c-statistic ranged 0.69?0.87 among validation studies. The ColonFlag model using trends in the FBC was commonly externally validated, with a pooled c-statistic=0.81 (95\% CI 0.77-0.85; n=4 studies) for 6-month colorectal cancer risk. Models were often inadequately tested, with only one external validation study assessing model calibration. All 16 studies scored a low risk of bias regarding predictor and outcome details. All but one study scored a high risk of bias in the analysis domain, with most studies often removing patients with missing data from analysis or not adjusting the derived model for overfitting. Conclusions: Our review highlights that blood test trends may inform further investigation for cancer. However, models were not available for most cancer sites, were rarely externally validated, and rarely assessed calibration when they were externally validated. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42022348907; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/view/CRD42022348907 ", doi="10.2196/70275", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e70275" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/54154, author="Komariah, Maria and Maulana, Sidik and Amirah, Shakira and Platini, Hesti and Rahayuwati, Laili and Yusuf, Ah and Firdaus, Hasymi Mohd Khairul Zul", title="Benefits of Remote-Based Mindfulness on Physical Symptom Outcomes in Cancer Survivors: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jan", day="16", volume="11", pages="e54154", keywords="cancer", keywords="physical symptoms", keywords="mindfulness", keywords="remote-based intervention", keywords="quality of life", abstract="Background: Many cancer survivors experience a wide range of symptoms closely linked to psychological problems, highlighting the need for psychological treatment, one of the most popular being mindfulness. The use of the internet has greatly increased in the last decade, and has encouraged the use of remote-based interventions to help people living with cancer access treatment remotely via devices. Objective: The primary aim of this study was to explore the efficacy of internet-based mindfulness interventions on the physical symptoms of people living with cancer, where physical symptoms are defined as distressing somatic experiences (eg fatigue, insomnia, and pain) regardless of the underlying cause. The secondary aim was to investigate interventions for the quality of life (QoL). Methods: This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Relevant articles were systematically searched using electronic databases, namely Scopus, Medline through PubMed, Cumulated Index in Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) through EBSCOhost, and Cochrane Central Database. Randomized controlled and pilot trials involving adults and/or older adults with cancer and using remote-based mindfulness interventions compared to usual care were included. The quality of the trials included in this study was assessed using the revised Cochrane risk of bias, version 2.0. This study estimated the standardized mean difference (SMD) and mean difference (MD) with 95\% CI. The I2 test was used to identify potential causes of heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using contour-enhanced funnel plots and the Egger linear regression test to reveal a small study effect. Results: The initial search yielded 1985 records, of which 13 studies were ultimately included. After treatment, remote-based mindfulness significantly reduced fatigue (SMD ?0.94; 95\% CI: ?1.56 to ?0.33; P=.002), sleep disturbance (SMD ?0.36; 95\% CI: ?0.60 to ?0.12; P=.004), and improved physical function (SMD .25; 95\% CI: 0.09 to 0.41; P=.002) compared to that observed before treatment. However, compared with usual care, remote-based mindfulness showed a statistically significant reduction only in sleep disturbance (SMD: ?0.37; 95\% CI: ?0.58 to ?0.16; P=.0006) after treatment. Moreover, remote-based mindfulness was not statistically significant in reducing pain both within and between groups. Conclusions: Remote-based mindfulness shows promise in reducing sleep disturbances; however, its impact on fatigue, pain, and physical function may be limited. ", doi="10.2196/54154", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e54154" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/50662, author="Ng, Shin Krystal Lu and Munisamy, Murallitharan and Lim, Yin Joanne Bee and Alshagga, Mustafa", title="The Effect of Nutritional Mobile Apps on Populations With Cancer: Systematic Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Feb", day="5", volume="11", pages="e50662", keywords="cancer", keywords="mobile app", keywords="nutrition", keywords="body composition", keywords="quality of life", keywords="mobile health", keywords="mHealth", keywords="diet", keywords="intervention", keywords="mobile phone", keywords="PRISMA", abstract="Background: Limited access to nutrition support among populations with cancer is a major barrier to sustainable and quality cancer care. Increasing use of mobile health in health care has raised concerns about its validity and health impacts. Objective: This systematic review aimed to determine the effectiveness of commercial or cancer-specific nutritional mobile apps among people living with cancer. Methods: A systematic search of the CENTRAL, Embase, PubMed (MEDLINE), and Scopus databases was carried out in May 2024. All types of intervention studies were included, except observational studies, gray literature, and reference lists of key systematic reviews. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they involved (1) patients with or survivors of cancer and (2) nutrition-related mobile apps. Studies were excluded if the nutrition intervention was not delivered via mobile app or the app intervention was accompanied by dietary counseling. The review process was conducted based on the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. The Risk of Bias 2 and Risk of Bias in Nonrandomized Studies tools were used to assess the study quality. The Cochrane Review Manager (version 5.4) software was used to synthesize the results of the bias assessment. Results: A total of 13 interventions were included, comprising 783 adults or teenagers with cancer. Most studies focused on breast cancer (6/13, 46\%), overweight (6/13, 46\%), and survivors (9/13, 69\%). Data on anthropometry and body composition (7/13, 54\%; 387 participants), nutritional status (3/13, 23\%; 249 participants), dietary intake (7/13, 54\%; 352 participants), and quality of life (6/13, 46\%; 384 participants) were gathered. Experimental groups were more likely to report significant improvements in body weight or composition, dietary compliance, nutritional status, and quality of life than control groups. Conclusions: Although mobile app platforms are used to deliver nutrition interventions, the evidence for long-term efficacy, particularly in populations with cancer, remains elusive. More robust randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes, as well as more homogeneous population characteristics and outcome measures, are warranted. Trial Registration: PROSPERO CRD42023330575; https://tinyurl.com/55v56yaj ", doi="10.2196/50662", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e50662" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/66087, author="Richard, Vincent and Gilbert, Allison and Pizzolla, Emanuela and Briganti, Giovanni", title="Investigating the Complexity of Multidimensional Symptom Experiences in Patients With Cancer: Systematic Review of the Network Analysis Approach", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jul", day="9", volume="11", pages="e66087", keywords="network analysis", keywords="symptoms", keywords="cancer patients", keywords="systematic review", keywords="cancer treatment", keywords="symptom management", abstract="Background: Advances in therapies have significantly improved the outcomes of patients with cancer. However, multidimensional symptoms negatively impact patients' quality of life. Traditional symptom analysis methods fail to capture the dynamic and interactive nature of these symptoms, limiting progress in supportive care. Network analysis (NA) is a promising method to evaluate complex medical situations. Objective: We performed a systematic review to explore NA's contribution to understanding the complexity of symptom experiences in patients with cancer. Methods: The research question was as follows: ``In patients with cancer (population), what is the contribution of NA (intervention) to understanding the complexity of multidimensional symptom experiences (outcome)?'' The keywords ``network analysis'' AND ``symptoms'' AND ``cancer survivors'' OR ``cancer patients'' were searched in MEDLINE, Embase, Google Scholar, and Scopus between 2010 and 2024. Citations were extracted using Covidence software. Two reviewers independently screened the articles and resolved inclusion disagreements through consensus. Data were synthetized, and results have been narratively described. Bias analysis was performed using the Methodological Index for Non-Randomized Studies tool. Results: Among 764 articles initially identified, 22 were included. Studies evaluated mixed solid tumors (n=10), digestive tract cancers (n=4), breast cancer (n=3), head and neck cancer (n=2), gliomas (n=2), and mixed solid and hematological cancers (n=1). Twelve studies used general symptom assessment tools, whereas 10 focused on neuropsychological symptoms. Moreover, 1 study evaluated symptoms at diagnosis, 1 evaluated them during curative radiotherapy, 4 evaluated them during the perioperative period, 5 evaluated them during chemotherapy, 4 evaluated them during ongoing cancer therapies, and 7 evaluated them after acute treatments. Among these, 3 evaluated the longitudinal changes in symptom networks across chemotherapy cycles, and 1 evaluated changes during radiotherapy. Three studies investigated the associations between symptoms and biological parameters. Several NA approaches were used: network visualization (n=1), Bayesian network (n=1), pairwise Markov random field and IsingFit method (n=1), unregularized Gaussian graphical model (n=2), regularized partial correlation network (n=6), network visualization and community NA (n=1), network visualization and Walktrap algorithm (n=1), undirected network model with the Fruchterman-Reingold and edge-betweenness approaches (n=4), biased correlation and concise pattern diagram (n=1), extended Bayesian information criterion graphical LASSO method (n=3), cross-lagged panel network (n=1), and unspecified NA (n=3). Psychological symptoms, particularly anxiety, depression, and distress, were frequently identified as central and stably interconnected. Fatigue consistently emerged as a core symptom, closely linked to sleep disturbances, cognitive impairment, and emotional distress. Associations between symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers (eg, interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and tumor necrosis factor-$\alpha$) suggest a biological basis for symptom interconnectivity. Conclusions: NA consistently identified core symptoms, particularly psychological symptoms and fatigue, and associations with inflammatory biomarkers. NA may deepen the understanding of symptom interconnectivity and guide more effective interventions. However, further longitudinal homogeneous studies using standardized methodologies are needed. ", doi="10.2196/66087", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e66087" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/72862, author="Ouellet, Steven and Naye, Florian and Supper, Wilfried and Cachinho, Chlo{\'e} and Gagnon, Marie-Pierre and LeBlanc, Annie and Laferri{\`e}re, Marie-Claude and D{\'e}cary, Simon and Sasseville, Maxime", title="Digital Health Portals for Individuals Living With or Beyond Cancer: Patient-Driven Scoping Review", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jul", day="18", volume="11", pages="e72862", keywords="cancer", keywords="oncology", keywords="patient portal", keywords="electronic health records", keywords="online access", keywords="patient records", keywords="social determinants of health", keywords="scoping review", keywords="Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses", abstract="Background: Digital health portals are online platforms allowing individuals to access their personal information and communicate with health care providers. While digital health portals have been associated with improved health outcomes and more streamlined health care processes, their impact on individuals living with or beyond cancer remains underexplored. Objective: This scoping review aimed to (1) identify the portal functionalities reported in studies involving individuals living with or beyond cancer, as well as the outcomes assessed, and (2) explore the diversity of participant characteristics and potential factors associated with portal use. Methods: We conducted a scoping review in accordance with the JBI methodology (formerly the Joanna Briggs Institute) and the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines. We included primary research studies published between 2014 and 2024 that involved participants living with or beyond cancer, had access to personal health information, and assessed at least one outcome related to health or the health care system. We searched the Embase, Web of Science, MEDLINE (Ovid), and CINAHL Plus with Full Text databases. Five reviewers independently screened all titles, abstracts, and full texts in duplicate using Covidence. We extracted data on study design, participant characteristics, portal functionalities, outcomes assessed, and PROGRESS-Plus (place of residence; race, ethnicity, culture, or language; occupation; gender or sex; religion; education; socioeconomic status; and social capital--Plus) equity factors. Results: We included 44 studies; most were conducted in the United States (n=30, 68\%) and used quantitative (n=23, 52\%), mixed methods (n=11, 25\%), or qualitative (n=10, 23\%) designs. The most common portal features were access to test results (28/44, 64\%) and secure messaging (30/44, 68\%). Frequently reported services included appointment-related functions (19/44, 43\%), educational resources (13/44, 30\%), and prescription management features (11/44, 25\%). Behavioral and technology-related outcomes were the most frequently assessed (37/44, 84\%), followed by system-level (19/44, 43\%), psychosocial (16/44, 36\%), and clinical outcomes (5/44, 11\%). Overall, 43\% (19/44) of the studies addressed PROGRESS-Plus factors. Age was the most frequently reported (13/19, 68\%), followed by socioeconomic status (10/19, 53\%), race or ethnicity (7/19, 37\%), and gender or sex (7/19, 37\%). Social capital (2/19, 11\%), occupation (1/19, 5\%), and disability (1/19, 5\%) were rarely considered, and religion was not reported in any study. Conclusions: While digital health portals enhance patient engagement, their clinical impact and equity implications remain insufficiently evaluated. We found disparities in functionalities, outcomes, and PROGRESS-Plus representation. To promote equitable benefits, future studies should adopt inclusive designs and evaluation strategies that address diverse outcomes and integrate social determinants of health. ", doi="10.2196/72862", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e72862" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/65848, author="Coen, Emma and Del Fiol, Guilherme and Kaphingst, A. Kimberly and Borsato, Emerson and Shannon, Jackilen and Smith, Hadley and Masino, Aaron and Allen, G. Caitlin", title="Chatbot for the Return of Positive Genetic Screening Results for Hereditary Cancer Syndromes: Prompt Engineering Project", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jun", day="10", volume="11", pages="e65848", keywords="prompt engineering", keywords="few-shot learning", keywords="retrieval-augmented generation", keywords="population screening program", keywords="cancer", keywords="genetics", keywords="screening", keywords="syndrome", keywords="genomic", keywords="counseling", keywords="large language model", keywords="LLM", keywords="engineering", keywords="chatbot", keywords="prompt", keywords="RAG", keywords="mobile phone", doi="10.2196/65848", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e65848" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/68516, author="Liu, Darren and Lin, Yufen and Yan, Runze and Wang, Zhiyuan and Bold, Delgersuren and Hu, Xiao", title="Leveraging Artificial Intelligence for Digital Symptom Management in Oncology: The Development of CRCWeb", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jun", day="16", volume="11", pages="e68516", keywords="colorectal cancer", keywords="health disparity", keywords="health equity", keywords="generative artificial intelligence", keywords="large language model", keywords="software engineering", keywords="artificial intelligence", abstract="International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/48499 ", doi="10.2196/68516", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e68516" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/53887, author="Lin, Ching-Hsiung and Wang, Bing-Yen and Lin, Sheng-Hao and Shih, Hsuan Pei and Lee, Chin-Jing and Huang, Ting Yung and Chen, Chieh Shih and Pan, Mei-Lien", title="Process Re-Engineering and Data Integration Using Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources for the Multidisciplinary Treatment of Lung Cancer", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="May", day="5", volume="11", pages="e53887", keywords="multidisciplinary team meetings", keywords="process re-engineering", keywords="multidisciplinary cancer care", keywords="Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources", keywords="tumor board", keywords="multidisciplinary team", keywords="cancer", keywords="lung cancer", keywords="treatment", keywords="lung", keywords="health care professionals", keywords="health care", keywords="MDT", keywords="digitize", keywords="API", keywords="hospital", keywords="information system", keywords="HIS", keywords="medical data", keywords="platform", keywords="data integration", keywords="information and communication technology", keywords="ICT", keywords="decision support", keywords="eHealth", keywords="digital tools", keywords="clinic", keywords="patient care", keywords="application programming interface", keywords="hospital information system", doi="10.2196/53887", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e53887" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/63486, author="Lyhne, Dam Johanne and Smith, `Ben' Allan and Carstensen, Wisbech Tina Birgitte and Beatty, Lisa and Bamgboje-Ayodele, Adeola and Klein, Britt and Jensen, Henrik Lars and Frostholm, Lisbeth", title="Adapting a Self-Guided eHealth Intervention Into a Tailored Therapist-Guided eHealth Intervention for Survivors of Colorectal Cancer", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="5", volume="11", pages="e63486", keywords="fear of cancer recurrence", keywords="therapist-guided", keywords="self-guided", keywords="online intervention", keywords="colorectal cancer", keywords="digital health", keywords="psychosocial intervention", keywords="survivorship", keywords="eHealth", keywords="adaptation", keywords="survivors", keywords="oncologists", keywords="therapists", keywords="acceptability", keywords="mobile phone", abstract="Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04287218; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04287218 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.1186/s12885-020-06731-6 ", doi="10.2196/63486", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e63486" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/66633, author="Chow, L. James C. and Li, Kay", title="Developing Effective Frameworks for Large Language Model--Based Medical Chatbots: Insights From Radiotherapy Education With ChatGPT", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Feb", day="18", volume="11", pages="e66633", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="AI", keywords="AI in medical education", keywords="radiotherapy chatbot", keywords="large language models", keywords="LLMs", keywords="medical chatbots", keywords="health care AI", keywords="ethical AI in health care", keywords="personalized learning", keywords="natural language processing", keywords="NLP", keywords="radiotherapy education", keywords="AI-driven learning tools", doi="10.2196/66633", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e66633" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/65566, author="Bak, Marieke and Hartman, Laura and Graafland, Charlotte and Korfage, J. Ida and Buyx, Alena and Schermer, Maartje and ", title="Ethical Design of Data-Driven Decision Support Tools for Improving Cancer Care: Embedded Ethics Review of the 4D PICTURE Project", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Apr", day="10", volume="11", pages="e65566", keywords="shared decision-making", keywords="oncology", keywords="IT", keywords="ethics", keywords="decision support tools", keywords="big data", keywords="medical decision-making", keywords="artificial intelligence", doi="10.2196/65566", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e65566" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/66801, author="Pozzar, A. Rachel and Tulsky, A. James and Berry, L. Donna and Batista, Jeidy and Barwick, Paige and Lindvall, J. Charlotta and Dykes, C. Patricia and Manni, Michael and Matulonis, A. Ursula and McCleary, J. Nadine and Wright, A. Alexi", title="Usability, Acceptability, and Barriers to Implementation of a Collaborative Agenda-Setting Intervention (CASI) to Promote Person-Centered Ovarian Cancer Care: Development Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="10", volume="11", pages="e66801", keywords="ovarian neoplasm", keywords="ovarian cancer", keywords="cancer", keywords="oncology", keywords="oncologist", keywords="metastases", keywords="communication", keywords="physician-patient relations", keywords="electronic health record", keywords="EHR", keywords="electronic medical record", keywords="EMR", keywords="implementation science", keywords="digital", keywords="digital health", keywords="digital technology", keywords="digital intervention", keywords="mobile phone", abstract="Background: People with advanced ovarian cancer and their caregivers report unmet supportive care needs. We developed a Collaborative Agenda-Setting Intervention (CASI) to elicit patients' and caregivers' needs through the patient portal before a clinic visit and to communicate these needs to clinicians using the electronic health record. Objective: We aimed to assess the usability and acceptability of the CASI and identify barriers to and facilitators of its implementation. Methods: We recruited English- and Spanish-speaking patients, caregivers, and clinicians from the gynecologic oncology program at a comprehensive cancer center. Participants used the CASI prototype and then completed individual cognitive interviews and surveys. We assessed usability with the System Usability Scale (scores range 0?100, scores ?70 indicate acceptable usability) and acceptability with the Acceptability of Intervention Measure and Intervention Appropriateness Measure (scores for both measures range from 1 to 5, higher scores indicate greater acceptability). Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directed content analysis. Domains and constructs from the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research comprised the initial codebook. We analyzed survey data using descriptive statistics and compared usability and acceptability scores across patients, caregivers, and clinicians using analyses of variance. Results: We enrolled 15 participants (5 patients, 5 caregivers, and 5 clinicians). The mean System Usability Scale score was 72 (SD 16). The mean Acceptability of Intervention Measure and Intervention Appropriateness Measure scores were 3.9 (SD 1.0) and 4.1 (SD 0.8), respectively. Participants viewed the CASI content and format positively overall. Several participants appreciated the CASI's integration into the clinical workflow and its potential to increase attention to psychosocial concerns. Suggestions to refine the CASI included removing redundant items, simplifying item language, and adding options to request a conversation or opt out of supportive care referrals. Key barriers to implementing the CASI include its complexity and limited resources available to address patients' and caregivers' needs. Conclusions: The CASI is usable and acceptable to patients with advanced ovarian cancer, caregivers, and clinicians. We identified several barriers to and facilitators of implementing the CASI. In future research, we will apply these insights to a pilot randomized controlled trial to assess the feasibility of comparing the CASI to usual care in a parallel group-randomized efficacy trial. ", doi="10.2196/66801", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e66801" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/64145, author="Bargas-Ochoa, Miguel and Zulbaran-Rojas, Alejandro and Finco, G. M. and Costales, B. Anthony and Flores-Camargo, Areli and Bara, O. Rasha and Pacheco, Manuel and Phan, Tina and Khichi, Aleena and Najafi, Bijan", title="Development and Implementation of a Personal Virtual Assistant for Patient Engagement and Communication in Postsurgical Cancer Care: Feasibility Cohort Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Feb", day="18", volume="11", pages="e64145", keywords="digital health", keywords="personal virtual assistant", keywords="remote patient monitoring", keywords="surgical oncology", keywords="posthospital discharge", keywords="postoperative support", keywords="medication adherence postsurgery", keywords="patient engagement", keywords="mHealth", keywords="mobile health", abstract="Background: Cancer-care complexity heightens communication challenges between health care providers and patients, impacting their treatment adherence. This is especially evident upon hospital discharge in patients undergoing surgical procedures. Digital health tools offer potential solutions to address communication challenges seen in current discharge protocols. We aim to explore the usability and acceptability of an interactive health platform among discharged patients who underwent oncology-related procedures. Methods: A 4-week exploratory cohort study was conducted. Following hospital discharge, a tablet equipped with an integrated Personal Virtual Assistant (PVA) system was provided to patients who underwent oncology-related procedures. The PVA encompasses automated features that provide personalized care plans, developed through collaboration among clinicians, researchers, and engineers from various disciplines. These plans include guidance on daily specific assignments that were divided into 4 categories: medication intake, exercise, symptom surveys, and postprocedural specific tasks. The aim was to explore the acceptability of the PVA by quantification of dropout rate and assessing adherence to each care plan category throughout the study duration. The secondary aim assessed acceptability of the PVA through a technology acceptance model (TAM) questionnaire that examined ease of use, usefulness, attitude toward use, and privacy concerns. Results: In total, 17 patients were enrolled. However, 1 (5.8\%) patient dropped out from the study after 3 days due to health deterioration, leaving 16/17 (94.2\%) completing the study (mean age 54.5, SD 12.7, years; n=9, 52\% Caucasian; n=14, 82\% with a gynecological disease; n=3, 18\% with a hepatobiliary disease). At the study end point, adherence to care plan categories were 78\% (SD 25\%) for medications, 81\% (SD 24\%) for exercises, 61\% (SD 30\%) for surveys, and 58\% (SD 44\%) for specific tasks such as following step-by step wound care instructions, managing drains, administering injectable medications independently, and performing pelvic baths as instructed. There was an 80\% patient endorsement (strongly agree or agree) across all TAM categories. Conclusion: This study suggests the potential acceptability of the PVA among patients discharged after oncology-related procedures, with a dropout rate of less than 6\% and fair-to-good adherence to tasks such as medication intake and exercise. However, these findings are preliminary due to the small sample size and highlight the need for further research with larger cohorts to validate and refine the system. ", doi="10.2196/64145", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e64145" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/53690, author="Kalla, Mahima and Bradford, Ashleigh and Schadewaldt, Verena and Burns, Kara and Bray, E. Sarah C. and Cain, Sarah and McAlpine, Heidi and Dhillon, S. Rana and Chapman, Wendy and Whittle, R. James and J Drummond, Katharine and Krishnasamy, Meinir", title="Co-Designing a User-Centered Digital Health Tool for Supportive Care Needs of Patients With Brain Tumors and Their Caregivers: Interview Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="May", day="23", volume="11", pages="e53690", keywords="brain cancer", keywords="unmet needs", keywords="supportive care", keywords="psychosocial support", keywords="digital health", keywords="qualitative research", keywords="brain tumor", keywords="user-centered", keywords="patients", keywords="caregivers", keywords="interview analysis", keywords="quality of life", keywords="effectiveness", keywords="co-design paradigm", keywords="ideas", keywords="concepts", keywords="emotional support", keywords="information sharing", keywords="social connectedness", keywords="health care professionals", abstract="Background: Brain tumors are characterized by the high burden of disease that profoundly impacts the quality of life in patients and their families. Digital health tools hold tremendous potential to enhance supportive care and quality of life for patients with brain tumors and their caregivers. Objective: This study aims to generate ideas and concepts, through a co-design paradigm, to inform the development of a digital health tool to address the unmet needs of people affected by brain tumors. Methods: Patients with brain tumors, caregivers, and health professionals from 2 large public tertiary hospitals in Victoria, Australia, were invited to complete a qualitative interview discussing their unmet needs of care. Overall, 35 qualitative interviews focusing on unmet needs and concepts for a digital health tool were conducted with 13 patients, 11 caregivers, and 11 health professionals. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed, and a 5-step framework analysis approach was used to analyze data. Results: Four themes of unmet supportive care needs emerged: (1) emotional and psychological, (2) information, (3) physical and practical, and (4) social connectedness. Participants expressed the desire for early and proactive mental health intervention, noted the importance of providing mental health support to caregivers, and emphasized the need for positive stories and affirmative language. From an information perspective, participants noted a sense of information overload, especially at the beginning. They also underscored the variety of information needed on an ongoing basis, including life after treatment, and comprehensive care assistance to maintain quality of life. Participants also described unmet supportive care needs relating to symptom burden, and practical and administrative support to facilitate the logistics of accessing treatment and accomplishing daily life tasks. Finally, they expressed the desire for greater social connectedness and safe spaces to engage with other people in a similar situation. Our findings are consistent with previous research on this subject and were integrated into the development of a web-based platform. Conclusions: Participants' perspectives informed the development of content for a web-based digital health platform called ``Brain Tumours Online.'' The platform comprises three pillars---(1) ``LEARN'': a repository of vetted information about a range of biomedical and psychosocial care topics; (2) ``CONNECT'': a digital peer support community with a health care professional interface; and (3) ``TOOLBOX'': an emerging library of validated digital therapeutics for symptom management. ", doi="10.2196/53690", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e53690" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/64083, author="Huebner, Hanna and Wurmthaler, A. Lena and Goossens, Chlo{\"e} and Ernst, Mathias and Mocker, Alexander and Kr{\"u}ckel, Annika and Kallert, Maximilian and Geck, J{\"u}rgen and Limpert, Milena and Seitz, Katharina and Ruebner, Matthias and Kreis, Philipp and Heindl, Felix and H{\"o}rner, Manuel and Volz, Bernhard and Roth, Eduard and Hack, C. Carolin and Beckmann, W. Matthias and Uhrig, Sabrina and Fasching, A. Peter", title="A Digital Home-Based Health Care Center for Remote Monitoring of Side Effects During Breast Cancer Therapy: Prospective, Single-Arm, Monocentric Feasibility Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="May", day="2", volume="11", pages="e64083", keywords="breast cancer", keywords="digital medicine", keywords="telehealth", keywords="remote monitoring", keywords="cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor", keywords="CDK4/6 inhibitor", keywords="mobile phone", abstract="Background: The introduction of oral anticancer therapies has, at least partially, shifted treatment from clinician-supervised hospital care to patient-managed home regimens. However, patients with breast cancer receiving oral cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor therapy still require regular hospital visits to monitor side effects. Telemonitoring has the potential to reduce hospital visits while maintaining quality care. Objective: This study aims to develop a digital home-based health care center (DHHC) for acquiring electrocardiograms (ECGs), white blood cell (WBC) counts, side effect photo documentation, and patient-reported quality of life (QoL) data. Methods: The DHHC was set up using an Apple Watch Series 6 (ECG measurements), a HemoCue WBC DIFF Analyzer (WBC counts), an iPhone SE (QoL assessments and photo documentation), a TP-Link M7350-4G Wi-Fi router, and a Raspberry Pi 4 Model B. A custom-built app stored and synchronized remotely collected data with the clinic. The feasibility and acceptance of the DHHC among patients with breast cancer undergoing cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor therapy were evaluated in a prospective, single-arm, monocentric study. Patients (n=76) monitored side effects---ECGs, WBC counts, photo documentation, and QoL---at 3 predefined time points: study inclusion (on-site), day 14 (remote), and day 28 (remote). After the study completion, patients completed a comprehensive questionnaire on user perception and feasibility. Adherence to scheduled visits, the success rate of the data transfer, user perception and feasibility, and the clinical relevance of remote measurements were evaluated. Results: Mean adherence to the planned remote visits was 63\% on day 14 and 37\% on day 28. ECG measurements were performed most frequently (day 14: 57/76, 75\%; day 28: 31/76, 41\%). The primary patient-reported reason for nonadherence was device malfunction. The expected versus the received data transfer per patient was as follows: ECGs: 3 versus 3.04 (SD 1.9); WBC counts: 3 versus 2.14 (SD 1.14); QoL questionnaires: 3 versus 2.5 (SD 1.14); and photo documentation: 6 versus 4.4 (SD 3.36). Among patients, 81\% (55/68) found ECG measurements easy, 82\% (55/67) found photo documentation easy, and 48\% (33/69) found WBC measurements easy. Additionally, 61\% (40/66) of patients felt comfortable with self-monitoring and 79\% (54/68) were willing to integrate remote monitoring into their future cancer care. Therapy-induced decreased neutrophil count was successfully detected (P<.001; mean baseline: 4.3, SD 2.2, {\texttimes}109/L; on-treatment: 1.8, SD 0.8, {\texttimes}109/L). All-grade neutropenia and corrected QT interval prolongations were detected in 80\% (55/68) and 2\% (1/42) of patients, respectively. Conclusions: Adherence to scheduled remote visits was moderate, with nonadherence primarily attributed to device-related complications, which may have also affected the success rate of data transfer. Overall, patients considered remote monitoring useful and feasible. The prevalence of reported adverse events was comparable to existing literature, suggesting clinical potential. This initial feasibility study highlights the potential of the DHHC. ", doi="10.2196/64083", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e64083" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/67914, author="Liu, Darren and Hu, Xiao and Xiao, Canhua and Bai, Jinbing and Barandouzi, A. Zahra and Lee, Stephanie and Webster, Caitlin and Brock, La-Urshalar and Lee, Lindsay and Bold, Delgersuren and Lin, Yufen", title="Evaluation of Large Language Models in Tailoring Educational Content for Cancer Survivors and Their Caregivers: Quality Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Apr", day="7", volume="11", pages="e67914", keywords="large language models", keywords="GPT-4", keywords="cancer survivors", keywords="caregivers", keywords="education", keywords="health equity", abstract="Background: Cancer survivors and their caregivers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds with limited health literacy or racial and ethnic minorities facing language barriers, are at a disproportionately higher risk of experiencing symptom burdens from cancer and its treatments. Large language models (LLMs) offer a promising avenue for generating concise, linguistically appropriate, and accessible educational materials tailored to these populations. However, there is limited research evaluating how effectively LLMs perform in creating targeted content for individuals with diverse literacy and language needs. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the overall performance of LLMs in generating tailored educational content for cancer survivors and their caregivers with limited health literacy or language barriers, compare the performances of 3 Generative Pretrained Transformer (GPT) models (ie, GPT-3.5 Turbo, GPT-4, and GPT-4 Turbo; OpenAI), and examine how different prompting approaches influence the quality of the generated content. Methods: We selected 30 topics from national guidelines on cancer care and education. GPT-3.5 Turbo, GPT-4, and GPT-4 Turbo were used to generate tailored content of up to 250 words at a 6th-grade reading level, with translations into Spanish and Chinese for each topic. Two distinct prompting approaches (textual and bulleted) were applied and evaluated. Nine oncology experts evaluated 360 generated responses based on predetermined criteria: word limit, reading level, and quality assessment (ie, clarity, accuracy, relevance, completeness, and comprehensibility). ANOVA (analysis of variance) or chi-square analyses were used to compare differences among the various GPT models and prompts. Results: Overall, LLMs showed excellent performance in tailoring educational content, with 74.2\% (267/360) adhering to the specified word limit and achieving an average quality assessment score of 8.933 out of 10. However, LLMs showed moderate performance in reading level, with 41.1\% (148/360) of content failing to meet the sixth-grade reading level. LLMs demonstrated strong translation capabilities, achieving an accuracy of 96.7\% (87/90) for Spanish and 81.1\% (73/90) for Chinese translations. Common errors included imprecise scopes, inaccuracies in definitions, and content that lacked actionable recommendations. The more advanced GPT-4 family models showed better overall performance compared to GPT-3.5 Turbo. Prompting GPTs to produce bulleted-format content was likely to result in better educational content compared with textual-format content. Conclusions: All 3 LLMs demonstrated high potential for delivering multilingual, concise, and low health literacy educational content for cancer survivors and caregivers who face limited literacy or language barriers. GPT-4 family models were notably more robust. While further refinement is required to ensure simpler reading levels and fully comprehensive information, these findings highlight LLMs as an emerging tool for bridging gaps in cancer education and advancing health equity. Future research should integrate expert feedback, additional prompt engineering strategies, and specialized training data to optimize content accuracy and accessibility. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): RR2-10.2196/48499 ", doi="10.2196/67914", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e67914" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/52627, author="Fei-Zhang, J. David and Lawrence, Sherron Amelia and Chelius, C. Daniel and Sheyn, M. Anthony and Rastatter, C. Jeffrey", title="The Impact of Digital Inequities on Nasal and Paranasal-Sinus Cancer Disparities in the United States: A Cohort Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jul", day="15", volume="11", pages="e52627", keywords="paranasal sinus diseases", keywords="nasopharyngeal carcinoma", keywords="statistics", keywords="digital inequities", keywords="cancer disparities", keywords="technology", keywords="morality", keywords="treatment", keywords="care access", keywords="United States", keywords="cohort study", keywords="sinus cancer", keywords="sociodemographic", keywords="online access", keywords="equity", keywords="digital divide", keywords="public health", abstract="Background: In the modern era, the use of technology can substantially impact care access. Despite the extent of its influence on several chronic medical conditions related to the heart, lungs, and others, the relationship between one's access to digital resources and oncologic conditions has been seldom investigated in select pathologies among gastrointestinal and head-neck regions. However, studies on the influence of this ``digital inequity'' on other cancers pertaining to nasal and paranasal sinus cancer (NPSC) have yet to be performed. This remains in stark contrast to the extent of large data approaches assessing the impact of traditional social determinants/drivers of health (SDoH), such as factors related to one's socioeconomic status, minoritized race or ethnicity, and housing-transportation status, on prognostic and treatment outcomes. Objective: This study aims to use the Digital Inequity Index (DII), a novel, comprehensive tool that quantifies digital resource access on an area- or community-based level, to assess the relationship between inequities in digital accessibility with NPSC disparities in prognosis and care in the United States. Methods: Patients with NPSC from 2008 to 2017 in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program were assessed for significant regression trends in the long-term follow-up period and treatment receipt across NPSCs with increasing overall digital inequity, as measured by DII. DII was based on 17 census-tract level variables derived from the summarized values overlapping that same time period from the US Census/American Community Survey and Federal Communications Commission Annual Broadband Report. Variables were categorized as infrastructure-access (ie, electronic device ownership, internet provider availability, and income-broadband subscription ratio) or sociodemographic (education, income, age, and disability), ranked, and then averaged into a composite score to encompass direct and indirect factors related to digital inequity. Results: Across 8012 adult patients with NPSC, males (n=5416, 67.6\%) and White race (n=4293, 53.6\%) were the most represented demographics. With increasing digital inequity, as measured by increasing total DII scores, significant decreases in the length of long-term follow-up were observed with nasopharyngeal (P<.01) and maxillary sinus cancers (P=.02), with decreases as high as 19\% (35.2 to 28.5 months, nasopharynx). Electronic device and service availability inequities showcased higher-magnitude contributions to observed associated regression trends, while the income-broadband ratio contributed less. Significantly decreased odds of receiving indicated surgery (lowest odds ratio 0.87, 95\% CI 0.80-0.95, maxillary) and radiation (lowest odds ratio 0.78, 95\% CI 0.63-0.95, ethmoid) for several NPSCs were also observed. Conclusions: Digital inequities are associated with detrimental NPSC care and surveillance trends in the United States, even when accounting for traditional SDoH factors. These results prompt the need to include digital factors into the discussion of contextualizing SDoH-based analyses of cancer care disparities, as well as the specific factors from which prospective implementations and initiatives can invest limited public health resources to alleviate the most pertinent drivers of disparities. ", doi="10.2196/52627", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e52627" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/57715, author="Fong, Allan and Boxley, Christian and Schubel, Laura and Gallagher, Christopher and AuBuchon, Katarina and Arem, Hannah", title="Identifying Complex Scheduling Patterns Among Patients With Cancer With Transportation and Housing Needs: Feasibility Pilot Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jan", day="17", volume="11", pages="e57715", keywords="patient scheduling", keywords="scheduling complexities", keywords="temporal data mining", keywords="dataset", keywords="breast cancer", keywords="social determinant of health", keywords="oncology", keywords="metastasis", keywords="cancer patient", keywords="social support", keywords="community health worker", keywords="housing need", keywords="care", keywords="transportation", keywords="algorithm", abstract="Background: Patients with cancer frequently encounter complex treatment pathways, often characterized by challenges with coordinating and scheduling appointments at various specialty services and locations. Identifying patients who might benefit from scheduling and social support from community health workers or patient navigators is largely determined on a case-by-case basis and is resource intensive. Objective: This study aims to propose a novel algorithm to use scheduling data to identify complex scheduling patterns among patients with transportation and housing needs. Methods: We present a novel algorithm to calculate scheduling complexity from patient scheduling data. We define patient scheduling complexity as an aggregation of sequence, resolution, and facility components. Schedule sequence complexity is the degree to which appointments are scheduled and arrived to in a nonchronological order. Resolution complexity is the degree of no shows or canceled appointments. Location complexity reflects the proportion of appointment dates at 2 or more different locations. Schedule complexity captures deviations from chronological order, unresolved appointments, and coordination across multiple locations. We apply the scheduling complexity algorithm to scheduling data from 38 patients with breast cancer enrolled in a 6-month comorbidity management intervention at an urban hospital in the Washington, DC area that serves low-income patients. We compare the scheduling complexity metric with count-based metrics: arrived ratio, rescheduled ratio, canceled ratio, and no-show ratio. We defined an aggregate count-based adjustment metric as the harmonic mean of rescheduled ratio, canceled ratio, and no-show ratio. A low count-based adjustment metric would indicate that a patient has fewer disruptions or changes in their appointment scheduling. Results: The patients had a median of 88 unique appointments (IQR 60.3), 62 arrived appointments (IQR 47.8), 13 rescheduled appointments (IQR 13.5), 9 canceled appointments (IQR 10), and 1.5 missed appointments (IQR 5). There was no statistically significant difference in count-based adjustments and scheduling complexity bins ($\chi$24=6.296, P=.18). In total, 5 patients exhibited high scheduling complexity with low count-based adjustments. A total of 2 patients exhibited high count-based adjustments with low scheduling complexity. Out of the 15 patients that indicated transportation or housing insecurity issues in conversations with community health workers, 86.7\% (13/15) patients were identified as medium or high scheduling complexity while 60\% (9/15) were identified as medium or high count-based adjustments. Conclusions: Scheduling complexity identifies patients with complex but nonchronological scheduling behaviors who would be missed by traditional count-based metrics. This study shows a potential link between transportation and housing needs with schedule complexity. Scheduling complexity can complement count-based metrics when identifying patients who might need additional care coordination support especially as it relates to transportation and housing needs. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04836221; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04836221 ", doi="10.2196/57715", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e57715" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/56625, author="Brunelli, Cinzia and Alfieri, Sara and Zito, Emanuela and Spelta, Marco and Arba, Laura and Lombi, Linda and Caselli, Luana and Caraceni, Augusto and Borreani, Claudia and Roli, Anna and Miceli, Rosalba and Tine', Gabriele and Zecca, Ernesto and Platania, Marco and Procopio, Giuseppe and Nicolai, Nicola and Battaglia, Luigi and Lozza, Laura and Shkodra, Morena and Massa, Giacomo and Loiacono, Daniele and Apolone, Giovanni", title="Patient Voices: Multimethod Study on the Feasibility of Implementing Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in a Comprehensive Cancer Center", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jan", day="22", volume="11", pages="e56625", keywords="feasibility", keywords="oncology", keywords="patient-reported outcomes", keywords="PROMs", keywords="quality of life", keywords="mixed methods study", keywords="cancer", keywords="electronic patient-reported outcomes", keywords="patient compliance", keywords="barrier", keywords="implementation", keywords="usability scale", keywords="semistructured interview", keywords="questionnaire", keywords="clinical management", keywords="eHealth", abstract="Background: ``Patient Voices'' is a software developed to promote the systematic collection of electronic patient-reported outcome measures (ePROMs) in routine oncology clinical practice. Objective: This study aimed to assess compliance with and feasibility of the Patient Voices ePROM system and analyze patient-related barriers in an Italian comprehensive cancer center. Methods: Consecutive patients with cancer attending 3 outpatient clinics and 3 inpatient wards were screened for eligibility (adults, native speakers, and being able to fill in the ePROMs) and enrolled in a quantitative and qualitative multimethod study. Compliance, reasons for not administering the ePROMs, patients' interaction needs, and patient-perceived System Usability Scale (range 0-100) were collected; semistructured interviews were carried out in a subsample of patients. Results: From June 2020 to September 2021, a total of 435 patients were screened, 421 (96.7\%) were eligible, and 309 completed the ePROMs (309/421, 73.4\%; 95\% CI 69.8\%-77.5\%; mean age 63.3, SD 13.7 years). Organization problems and patient refusal were the main reasons for not administering the ePROMs (outpatients: 40/234, 17.1\% and inpatients: 44/201, 21.9\%). Help for tablet use was needed by 27.8\% (47/169) of outpatients and 10.7\% (15/140) of inpatients, while the support received for item interpretation was similar in the 2 groups (outpatients: 36/169, 21.3\% and inpatients: 26/140, 18.6\%). Average System Usability Scale scores indicated high usability in both groups (outpatients: mean 86.8, SD 15.8 and inpatients: mean 83.9, SD 18.8). Overall, repeated measurement compliance was 76.9\% (173/225; outpatients only). Interviewed patients showed positive attitudes toward ePROMs. However, there are barriers to implementation related to the time and cognitive effort required to complete the questionnaires. There is also skepticism about the usefulness of ePROMs in interactions with health care professionals. Conclusions: This study provides useful information for future ePROM implementation strategies, aimed at effectively supporting the routine clinical management and care of patients with cancer. In addition, these findings may be relevant to other organizations willing to systematically collect PROMs or ePROMs in their clinical routines. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03968718; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT03968718 ", doi="10.2196/56625", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e56625" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/50124, author="Jonnalagedda-Cattin, Magali and Moukam Datchoua, Mano{\"e}la Alida and Yakam, Flore Virginie and Kenfack, Bruno and Petignat, Patrick and Thiran, Jean-Philippe and Sch{\"o}nenberger, Klaus and Schmidt, C. Nicole", title="Barriers and Facilitators to the Preadoption of a Computer-Aided Diagnosis Tool for Cervical Cancer: Qualitative Study on Health Care Providers' Perspectives in Western Cameroon", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Feb", day="5", volume="11", pages="e50124", keywords="qualitative research", keywords="technology acceptance", keywords="cervical cancer", keywords="diagnosis", keywords="computer-assisted", keywords="decision support systems", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="health personnel attitudes", keywords="Cameroon", keywords="mobile phone", abstract="Background: Computer-aided detection and diagnosis (CAD) systems can enhance the objectivity of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), which is widely used in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for cervical cancer detection. VIA's reliance on subjective health care provider (HCP) interpretation introduces variability in diagnostic accuracy. CAD tools can address some limitations; nonetheless, understanding the contextual factors affecting CAD integration is essential for effective adoption and sustained use, particularly in resource-constrained settings. Objective: This study investigated the barriers and facilitators perceived by HCPs in Western Cameroon regarding sustained CAD tool use for cervical cancer detection using VIA. The aim was to guide smooth technology adoption in similar settings by identifying specific barriers and facilitators and optimizing CAD's potential benefits while minimizing obstacles. Methods: The perspectives of HCPs on adopting CAD for VIA were explored using a qualitative methodology. The study participants included 8 HCPs (6 midwives and 2 gynecologists) working in the Dschang district, Cameroon. Focus group discussions were conducted with midwives, while individual interviews were conducted with gynecologists to comprehend unique perspectives. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, and independently coded by 2 researchers using the ATLAS.ti (Lumivero, LLC) software. The technology acceptance lifecycle framework guided the content analysis, focusing on the preadoption phases to examine the perceived acceptability and initial acceptance of the CAD tool in clinical workflows. The study findings were reported adhering to the COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) and SRQR (Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research) checklists. Results: Key elements influencing the sustained use of CAD tools for VIA by HCPs were identified, primarily within the technology acceptance lifecycle's preadoption framework. Barriers included the system's ease of use, particularly challenges associated with image acquisition, concerns over confidentiality and data security, limited infrastructure and resources such as the internet and device quality, and potential workflow changes. Facilitators encompassed the perceived improved patient care, the potential for enhanced diagnostic accuracy, and the integration of CAD tools into routine clinical practices, provided that infrastructure and training were adequate. The HCPs emphasized the importance of clinical validation, usability testing, and iterative feedback mechanisms to build trust in the CAD tool's accuracy and utility. Conclusions: This study provides practical insights from HCPs in Western Cameroon regarding the adoption of CAD tools for VIA in clinical settings. CAD technology can aid diagnostic objectivity; however, data management, workflow adaptation, and infrastructure limitations must be addressed to avoid ``pilotitis''---the failure of digital health tools to progress beyond the pilot phase. Effective implementation requires comprehensive technology management, including regulatory compliance, infrastructure support, and user-focused training. Involving end users can ensure that CAD tools are fully integrated and embraced in LMICs to aid cervical cancer screening. ", doi="10.2196/50124", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e50124" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/62833, author="Huang, Xiayuan and Ren, Shushun and Mao, Xinyue and Chen, Sirui and Chen, Elle and He, Yuqi and Jiang, Yun", title="Association Between Risk Factors and Major Cancers: Explainable Machine Learning Approach", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="May", day="2", volume="11", pages="e62833", keywords="electronic health record", keywords="EHR", keywords="cancer risk modeling", keywords="risk factor analysis", keywords="explainable machine learning", keywords="machine learning", keywords="ML", keywords="risk factor", keywords="major cancers", keywords="monitoring", keywords="cancer risk", keywords="breast cancer", keywords="colorectal cancer", keywords="lung cancer", keywords="prostate cancer", keywords="cancer patients", keywords="clinical decision-making", abstract="Background: Cancer is a life-threatening disease and a leading cause of death worldwide, with an estimated 611,000 deaths and over 2 million new cases in the United States in 2024. The rising incidence of major cancers, including among younger individuals, highlights the need for early screening and monitoring of risk factors to manage and decrease cancer risk. Objective: This study aimed to leverage explainable machine learning models to identify and analyze the key risk factors associated with breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers. By uncovering significant associations between risk factors and these major cancer types, we sought to enhance the understanding of cancer diagnosis risk profiles. Our goal was to facilitate more precise screening, early detection, and personalized prevention strategies, ultimately contributing to better patient outcomes and promoting health equity. Methods: Deidentified electronic health record data from Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC)--III was used to identify patients with 4 types of cancer who had longitudinal hospital visits prior to their diagnosis presence. Their records were matched and combined with those of patients without cancer diagnoses using propensity scores based on demographic factors. Three advanced models, penalized logistic regression, random forest, and multilayer perceptron (MLP), were conducted to identify the rank of risk factors for each cancer type, with feature importance analysis for random forest and MLP models. The rank biased overlap was adopted to compare the similarity of ranked risk factors across cancer types. Results: Our framework evaluated the prediction performance of explainable machine learning models, with the MLP model demonstrating the best performance. It achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.78 for breast cancer (n=58), 0.76 for colorectal cancer (n=140), 0.84 for lung cancer (n=398), and 0.78 for prostate cancer (n=104), outperforming other baseline models (P<.001). In addition to demographic risk factors, the most prominent nontraditional risk factors overlapped across models and cancer types, including hyperlipidemia (odds ratio [OR] 1.14, 95\% CI 1.11?1.17; P<.01), diabetes (OR 1.34, 95\% CI 1.29?1.39; P<.01), depressive disorders (OR 1.11, 95\% CI 1.06?1.16; P<.01), heart diseases (OR 1.42, 95\% CI 1.32?1.52; P<.01), and anemia (OR 1.22, 95\% CI 1.14?1.30; P<.01). The similarity analysis indicated the unique risk factor pattern for lung cancer from other cancer types. Conclusions: The study's findings demonstrated the effectiveness of explainable ML models in assessing nontraditional risk factors for major cancers and highlighted the importance of considering unique risk profiles for different cancer types. Moreover, this research served as a hypothesis-generating foundation, providing preliminary results for future investigation into cancer diagnosis risk analysis and management. Furthermore, expanding collaboration with clinical experts for external validation would be essential to refine model outputs, integrate findings into practice, and enhance their impact on patient care and cancer prevention efforts. ", doi="10.2196/62833", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e62833" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/69672, author="Wu, Tong and Wang, Yuting and Cui, Xiaoli and Xue, Peng and Qiao, Youlin", title="AI-Based Identification Method for Cervical Transformation Zone Within Digital Colposcopy: Development and Multicenter Validation Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="31", volume="11", pages="e69672", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="AI", keywords="cervical cancer screening", keywords="transformation zone", keywords="diagnosis and early treatment", keywords="lightweight neural network", abstract="Background: In low- and middle-income countries, cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death and morbidity for women. Early detection and treatment of precancerous lesions are critical in cervical cancer prevention, and colposcopy is a primary diagnostic tool for identifying cervical lesions and guiding biopsies. The transformation zone (TZ) is where a stratified squamous epithelium develops from the metaplasia of simple columnar epithelium and is the most common site of precancerous lesions. However, inexperienced colposcopists may find it challenging to accurately identify the type and location of the TZ during a colposcopy examination. Objective: This study aims to present an artificial intelligence (AI) method for identifying the TZ to enhance colposcopy examination and evaluate its potential clinical application. Methods: The study retrospectively collected data from 3616 women who underwent colposcopy at 6 tertiary hospitals in China between 2019 and 2021. A dataset from 4 hospitals was collected for model conduction. An independent dataset was collected from the other 2 geographic hospitals to validate model performance. There is no overlap between the training and validation datasets. Anonymized digital records, including each colposcopy image, baseline clinical characteristics, colposcopic findings, and pathological outcomes, were collected. The classification model was proposed as a lightweight neural network with multiscale feature enhancement capabilities and designed to classify the 3 types of TZ. The pretrained FastSAM model was first implemented to identify the location of the new squamocolumnar junction for segmenting the TZ. Overall accuracy, average precision, and recall were evaluated for the classification and segmentation models. The classification performance on the external validation was assessed by sensitivity and specificity. Results: The optimal TZ classification model performed with 83.97\% classification accuracy on the test set, which achieved average precision of 91.84\%, 89.06\%, and 95.62\% for types 1, 2, and 3, respectively. The recall and mean average precision of the TZ segmentation model were 0.78 and 0.75, respectively. The proposed model demonstrated outstanding performance in predicting 3 types of the TZ, achieving the sensitivity with 95\% CIs for TZ1, TZ2, and TZ3 of 0.78 (0.74-0.81), 0.81 (0.78-0.82), and 0.8 (0.74-0.87), respectively, with specificity with 95\% CIs of 0.94 (0.92-0.96), 0.83 (0.81-0.86), and 0.91 (0.89-0.92), based on a comprehensive external dataset of 1335 cases from 2 of the 6 hospitals. Conclusions: Our proposed AI-based identification system classified the type of cervical TZs and delineated their location on multicenter, colposcopic, high-resolution images. The findings of this study have shown its potential to predict TZ types and specific regions accurately. It was developed as a valuable assistant to encourage precise colposcopic examination in clinical practice. ", doi="10.2196/69672", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e69672" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/63347, author="{\vS}uto Pavi{\v c}i{\'c}, Jelena and Maru{\vs}i{\'c}, Ana and Buljan, Ivan", title="Using ChatGPT to Improve the Presentation of Plain Language Summaries of Cochrane Systematic Reviews About Oncology Interventions: Cross-Sectional Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Mar", day="19", volume="11", pages="e63347", keywords="health literacy", keywords="patient education", keywords="health communication", keywords="ChatGPT", keywords="neoplasms", keywords="Cochrane", keywords="oncology", keywords="plain language", keywords="medical information", keywords="decision-making", keywords="large language model", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="AI", abstract="Background: Plain language summaries (PLSs) of Cochrane systematic reviews are a simple format for presenting medical information to the lay public. This is particularly important in oncology, where patients have a more active role in decision-making. However, current PLS formats often exceed the readability requirements for the general population. There is still a lack of cost-effective and more automated solutions to this problem. Objective: This study assessed whether a large language model (eg, ChatGPT) can improve the readability and linguistic characteristics of Cochrane PLSs about oncology interventions, without changing evidence synthesis conclusions. Methods: The dataset included 275 scientific abstracts and corresponding PLSs of Cochrane systematic reviews about oncology interventions. ChatGPT-4 was tasked to make each scientific abstract into a PLS using 3 prompts as follows: (1) rewrite this scientific abstract into a PLS to achieve a Simple Measure of Gobbledygook (SMOG) index of 6, (2) rewrite the PLS from prompt 1 so it is more emotional, and (3) rewrite this scientific abstract so it is easier to read and more appropriate for the lay audience. ChatGPT-generated PLSs were analyzed for word count, level of readability (SMOG index), and linguistic characteristics using Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) software and compared with the original PLSs. Two independent assessors reviewed the conclusiveness categories of ChatGPT-generated PLSs and compared them with original abstracts to evaluate consistency. The conclusion of each abstract about the efficacy and safety of the intervention was categorized as conclusive (positive/negative/equal), inconclusive, or unclear. Group comparisons were conducted using the Friedman nonparametric test. Results: ChatGPT-generated PLSs using the first prompt (SMOG index 6) were the shortest and easiest to read, with a median SMOG score of 8.2 (95\% CI 8?8.4), compared with the original PLSs (median SMOG score 13.1, 95\% CI 12.9?13.4). These PLSs had a median word count of 240 (95\% CI 232?248) compared with the original PLSs' median word count of 364 (95\% CI 339?388). The second prompt (emotional tone) generated PLSs with a median SMOG score of 11.4 (95\% CI 11.1?12), again lower than the original PLSs. PLSs produced with the third prompt (write simpler and easier) had a median SMOG score of 8.7 (95\% CI 8.4?8.8). ChatGPT-generated PLSs across all prompts demonstrated reduced analytical tone and increased authenticity, clout, and emotional tone compared with the original PLSs. Importantly, the conclusiveness categorization of the original abstracts was unchanged in the ChatGPT-generated PLSs. Conclusions: ChatGPT can be a valuable tool in simplifying PLSs as medically related formats for lay audiences. More research is needed, including oversight mechanisms to ensure that the information is accurate, reliable, and culturally relevant for different audiences. ", doi="10.2196/63347", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e63347" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/63677, author="Grilo, Ana and Marques, Catarina and Corte-Real, Maria and Carolino, Elisabete and Caetano, Marco", title="Assessing the Quality and Reliability of ChatGPT's Responses to Radiotherapy-Related Patient Queries: Comparative Study With GPT-3.5 and GPT-4", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Apr", day="16", volume="11", pages="e63677", keywords="artificial intelligence", keywords="ChatGPT", keywords="large language model", keywords="radiotherapy", keywords="patient information", keywords="quality", keywords="internet access", keywords="health information", keywords="cancer awareness", keywords="accuracy", keywords="readability", keywords="chatbot", keywords="patient query", keywords="chat generative pretrained transformer", keywords="OpenAI", keywords="natural language processing", keywords="patients with cancer", abstract="Background: Patients frequently resort to the internet to access information about cancer. However, these websites often lack content accuracy and readability. Recently, ChatGPT, an artificial intelligence--powered chatbot, has signified a potential paradigm shift in how patients with cancer can access vast amounts of medical information, including insights into radiotherapy. However, the quality of the information provided by ChatGPT remains unclear. This is particularly significant given the general public's limited knowledge of this treatment and concerns about its possible side effects. Furthermore, evaluating the quality of responses is crucial, as misinformation can foster a false sense of knowledge and security, lead to noncompliance, and result in delays in receiving appropriate treatment. Objective: This study aims to evaluate the quality and reliability of ChatGPT's responses to common patient queries about radiotherapy, comparing the performance of ChatGPT's two versions: GPT-3.5 and GPT-4. Methods: We selected 40 commonly asked radiotherapy questions and entered the queries in both versions of ChatGPT. Response quality and reliability were evaluated by 16 radiotherapy experts using the General Quality Score (GQS), a 5-point Likert scale, with the median GQS determined based on the experts' ratings. Consistency and similarity of responses were assessed using the cosine similarity score, which ranges from 0 (complete dissimilarity) to 1 (complete similarity). Readability was analyzed using the Flesch Reading Ease Score, ranging from 0 to 100, and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level, reflecting the average number of years of education required for comprehension. Statistical analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney test and effect size, with results deemed significant at a 5\% level (P=.05). To assess agreement between experts, Krippendorff $\alpha$ and Fleiss $\kappa$ were used. Results: GPT-4 demonstrated superior performance, with a higher GQS and a lower number of scores of 1 and 2, compared to GPT-3.5. The Mann-Whitney test revealed statistically significant differences in some questions, with GPT-4 generally receiving higher ratings. The median (IQR) cosine similarity score indicated substantial similarity (0.81, IQR 0.05) and consistency in the responses of both versions (GPT-3.5: 0.85, IQR 0.04; GPT-4: 0.83, IQR 0.04). Readability scores for both versions were considered college level, with GPT-4 scoring slightly better in the Flesch Reading Ease Score (34.61) and Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level (12.32) compared to GPT-3.5 (32.98 and 13.32, respectively). Responses by both versions were deemed challenging for the general public. Conclusions: Both GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 demonstrated having the capability to address radiotherapy concepts, with GPT-4 showing superior performance. However, both models present readability challenges for the general population. Although ChatGPT demonstrates potential as a valuable resource for addressing common patient queries related to radiotherapy, it is imperative to acknowledge its limitations, including the risks of misinformation and readability issues. In addition, its implementation should be supported by strategies to enhance accessibility and readability. ", doi="10.2196/63677", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e63677" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/59464, author="Rivera Rivera, N. Jessica and Snir, Moran and Simmons, Emilie and Schmidlen, Tara and Sholeh, Misha and Maconi, Leigh Melinda and Geiss, Carley and Fulton, Hayden and Barton, Laura and Gonzalez, D. Brian and Permuth, Jennifer and Vadaparampil, Susan", title="Developing and Assessing a Scalable Digital Health Tool for Pretest Genetic Education in Patients With Early-Onset Colorectal Cancer: Mixed Methods Design", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jan", day="17", volume="11", pages="e59464", keywords="genetic education", keywords="genetic testing", keywords="genetic counseling", keywords="digital health", keywords="early-onset colorectal cancer", abstract="Background: National guidelines recommend germline genetic testing (GT) for all patients with early-onset colorectal cancer. With recent advances in targeted therapies and GT, these guidelines are expected to expand to include broader groups of patients with colorectal cancer. However, there is a shortage of genetic professionals to provide the necessary education and support for informed consent. As such, there is a pressing need to identify alternative approaches to facilitate and expedite access to GT. Objective: This study describes the development of a pretest education intervention, Nest-CRC, to facilitate the uptake of germline GT among patients with early-onset colorectal cancer. Patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and health care providers reviewed Nest-CRC, and their reactions and recommendations were captured using a nested mixed methods approach. Methods: Using the learner verification approach, we conducted 2 sequential phases of surveys and interviews with English- and Spanish-speaking patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and health care providers. The surveys assessed participants' experiences with genetic services and provided immediate feedback on the Nest-CRC genetic education modules. Semistructured interviews evaluated participants' perceptions of self-efficacy, attraction, comprehension, cultural acceptability, and usability of Nest-CRC. Survey data were analyzed using descriptive statistics (mean, median, and proportions), while interview data were analyzed through line-by-line coding of the transcribed interviews. After each phase, Nest-CRC was refined based on participants' recommendations. Results: A total of 52 participants, including 39 patients with early-onset colorectal cancer and 13 providers, participated in the study. Of these, 19 patients and 6 providers participated in phase 1 (N=25), and 20 patients and 7 providers participated in phase 2 (N=27). Most participants (phase 1: 23/25, 92\%, to 25/25, 100\%; phase 2: 24/27, 89\%, to 27/27, 100\%) agreed that each of the 5 education modules was easy to understand and helpful; 13 patients reported no history of GT, with 11 (85\%) expressing interest in GT and 2 (15\%) remaining unsure after completing Nest-CRC. Participants reported that Nest-CRC provided sufficient information to help them decide about GT. The tool was deemed acceptable by individuals from diverse backgrounds, and participants found it visually attractive, easy to comprehend, and user-friendly. Conclusions: The findings revealed that Nest-CRC is a promising strategy for facilitating pretest education and promoting GT. Nest-CRC has been refined based on participant recommendations and will be re-evaluated. ", doi="10.2196/59464", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e59464" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/71062, author="Marrison, Tucker Sarah and Shungu, Nicholas and Diaz, Vanessa", title="Perception and Counseling for Cardiac Health in Breast Cancer Survivors Using the Health Belief Model: Qualitative Analysis", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Jul", day="3", volume="11", pages="e71062", keywords="cardiovascular health", keywords="cancer survivorship", keywords="lifestyle counseling", keywords="breast cancer", keywords="cancer survivors", abstract="Background: Breast cancer survivors have increased cardiovascular risk compared to those without cancer history. Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in breast cancer survivors. Cardiovascular risk in breast cancer survivors is impacted by both cancer treatment--associated effects and in risk factors for breast cancer and cardiovascular disease overlap. Strategies to improve screening for and management of cardiovascular disease in breast cancer survivors are needed to improve the delivery of survivorship care. Objective: This study aims to assess current cardiovascular risk counseling practices and perceived cardiovascular risk in breast cancer survivors. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted from May to December 2021 with breast cancer survivors identified as having a primary care clinician within an academic family medicine center in Charleston, South Carolina. The interview guide and content were developed using the Health Belief Model with a focus on cardiovascular risk behaviors, risk perception, and barriers to risk reduction. Analysis of categorical data was conducted by frequency and quantitative variables by mean and SD. Template analysis was performed for qualitative analysis. Outcome measures included self-reported history of cardiovascular disease, risk perception, and risk behaviors. Results: The average age of participants (n=19) was 54 (SD 7) years; 68\% (13/19) were White and 32\% (6/19) were Black or African American. Of the interviewed women, 90\% (17/19) reported a personal history and 90\% (17/19) reported a family history of cardiovascular disease. Only 53\% (10/19) had previously reported receipt of cardiovascular counseling. Primary care most commonly provided counseling, followed by oncology. Among breast cancer survivors, 32\% (6/19) reported being at increased cardiovascular risk, and 47\% (9/19) were unsure of their relative cardiovascular risk. Factors affecting perceived cardiovascular risk included family history, cancer treatments, cardiovascular diagnoses, and lifestyle factors. Video (15/19, 79\%) and SMS text messaging (13/19, 68\%) were the most highly reported mechanisms through which breast cancer survivors requested to receive additional information and counseling on cardiovascular risk and risk reduction. Commonly reported barriers to risk reduction such as physical activity included time for meal planning and exercise, resources to support dietary and exercise changes, physical limitations, and competing responsibilities. Barriers specific to survivorship status included concerns for immune status during the COVID-19 pandemic, physical limitations associated with cancer treatment, and psychosocial aspects of cancer survivorship. Conclusions: Breast cancer survivors identified that factors associated with their cancer diagnosis and treatment both impacted their cardiovascular risk and introduced additional barriers to risk reduction. Potential strategies to improve counseling and awareness around cardiovascular risk include video and messaging platforms. Further risk reduction strategies should consider the unique challenges of cancer survivorship in delivery and implementation. ", doi="10.2196/71062", url="https://cancer.jmir.org/2025/1/e71062" } @Article{info:doi/10.2196/60034, author="Dabbagh, Zakery and Najjar, Reem and Kamberi, Ariana and Gerber, S. Ben and Singh, Aditi and Soni, Apurv and Cutrona, L. Sarah and McManus, D. David and Faro, M. Jamie", title="Usability and Implementation Considerations of Fitbit and App Intervention for Diverse Cancer Survivors: Mixed Methods Study", journal="JMIR Cancer", year="2025", month="Feb", day="24", volume="11", pages="e60034", keywords="physical activity", keywords="cancer survivor", keywords="wearable device", keywords="smartphone app", keywords="diverse", keywords="Fitbit", keywords="wearable", keywords="feasibility", keywords="usability", keywords="digital health", keywords="digital health method", keywords="breast cancer", keywords="Hispanic", keywords="women", keywords="mobile health", keywords="activity tracker", keywords="mHealth", abstract="Background: Despite the known benefits of physical activity, cancer survivors remain insufficiently active. Prior trials have adopted digital health methods, although several have been pedometer-based and enrolled mainly female, non-Hispanic White, and more highly educated survivors of breast cancer. Objective: The objective of this study was to test a previously developed mobile health system consisting of a Fitbit activity tracker and the MyDataHelps smartphone app for feasibility in a diverse group of cancer survivors, with the goal of refining the program and setting the stage for a larger future trial. Methods: Participants were identified from one academic medical center's electronic health records, referred by a clinician, or self-referred to participate in the study. Participants were screened for eligibility, enrolled, provided a Fitbit activity tracker, and instructed to download the Fitbit: Health \& Wellness and MyDataHelps apps. They completed usability surveys at 1 and 3 months. Interviews were conducted at the end of the 3-month intervention with participants and cancer care clinicians to assess the acceptability of the intervention and the implementation of the intervention into clinical practice, respectively. Descriptive statistics were calculated for demographics, usability surveys, and Fitbit adherence and step counts. Rapid qualitative analysis was used to identify key findings from interview transcriptions. Results: Of the 100 patients screened for eligibility, 31 were enrolled in the trial (mean age 64.8, SD 11.1 years; female patients=17/31, 55\%; Hispanic or Latino=7/31, 23\%; non-White=11/31, 35\%; less than a bachelor's degree=14/31, 45\%; and household income