Mayo Clinic researchers announced on Mar. 19 that chemotherapy can be safely administered in patients' homes, according to a study published in NEJM Catalyst.
The findings are significant as they suggest that cancer treatment may become more accessible and less burdensome for patients who traditionally spend long hours at infusion centers, often far from home. The new approach could help reduce the physical, emotional, and financial challenges associated with cancer care.
The study evaluated Mayo Clinic's Cancer CARE Beyond Walls model, which combines virtual care, remote patient monitoring, and in-home clinical services to deliver cancer treatment outside traditional settings. In the pilot phase, a multidisciplinary team provided 93 intravenous chemotherapy infusions to 10 patients at home. Researchers reported no treatment-related infusion reactions or catheter-related infections during the study period.
"Cancer care has traditionally required patients to spend long hours in infusion centers, often far from home," said Roxana Dronca, M.D., site director of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Florida and director of Mayo Clinic Cancer CARE Beyond Walls. "This model allows us to safely bring high-quality care directly to patients, reducing burden while maintaining the standards patients expect from Mayo Clinic." Most participants surveyed expressed high satisfaction with at-home care and indicated they would recommend it to others.
Dronca added: "This approach is about more than convenience. It's about improving quality of life during treatment and expanding access to care for patients who may face barriers to reaching traditional cancer centers."
To further evaluate this model, Mayo Clinic is enrolling patients in a randomized clinical trial launched in August 2023 that will compare home-based chemotherapy with standard infusion center care. The ongoing study aims to assess safety, patient experience, outcomes, and costs with the goal of expanding access to high-quality cancer care.
